The session organized by FICCI Ladies Organisation featured filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar discussing the portrayal of women in Bollywood and the realism in cinema. FLO President Harjinder Kaur Talwar praised Bhandarkar for creating strong female-centric films such as Page 3, Fashion, Heroine, Corporate, Chandni Bar and Indu Sarkar, highlighting their impactful female protagonists.
During the interaction, moderated by Amit Goel, Bhandarkar said his films “hold up a mirror to society” and emphasized the need to move beyond stereotypes to improve women’s representation in Indian cinema. He also shared insights about his humble beginnings in the film industry, his struggles after the failure of his debut film Trishakti, and his eventual success with Chandni Bar.
He further noted that many Bollywood celebrities avoid politics due to fear of isolation and potential impact on their careers.
