In the past year, female-led films made a mark with movies like 'Gangubai Kathiawadi', ‘Double XL’, ‘Dhaakad’, ‘Jalsa’, ‘Shabaash Mithu’, and many others. Hopefully, in 2023, the scenario will grow even more and the change will be for the better.
Here are a few women-led stories that we are looking forward to seeing in 2023:
‘Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway’
‘Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway’ will see Rani Mukerji as another fierce character with a story that seems highly relatable as it’s based on a real-life incident on an Indian couple in Norway. The film revolves around an immigrant Indian mother and her battle against the Norwegian foster care system and local legal machinery to win back the custody of her children. Written by Rahul Handa and Sameer Satija and directed by Ashima Chibber, the film has been produced by Monisha Advani, Madhu Bhojwani and Nikkhil Advani under the banner of Emmay Entertainment.
‘Dhak Dhak’
'Dhak Dhak' has been making huge waves since its shoot commenced in 2022 not just for its stunning cast but also for its unusual premise of four women on bikes undertaking the journey of a lifetime from Delhi to the world’s highest motorable pass - KhardungLa pass. The road movie headlined by Dia Mirza, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Ratna Pathak Shah and Sanjana Sanghi promises to be an engrossing watch for many reasons, one of which happens to be Dia Mirza's portrayal of a hijab-clad biker. The film is helmed by Tarun Dudeja and is jointly produced by Taapsee Pannu, Pranjal Khandhdiya, and Aayush Maheshwari under the banners of Viacom18 Studios and Outsiders Films.
‘Chakda 'Xpress’
Another sports biopic is on its way in 2023 and this one sees Anushka Sharma making a comeback to the silver screen after a long hiatus as Jhulan Nishit Goswami, one of the greatest bowlers to ever play cricket. The film promises to showcase how Jhulan moved up the ladder of success to achieve her dream of playing cricket for India, despite the misogynistic politics and hindrances that came her way. Directed by Prosit Roy, ‘Chakda 'Xpress’ also stars Renuka Shahane and Anshul Chauhan in prominent roles. It is produced by Karnesh Ssharma and Saurabh Malhotra.
‘Mrs. Falani’
Jointly directed by Manish Kishore and Madhukar Verma, 'Mrs. Felani' will see Swara Bhasker essaying nine different roles in an anthology of nine stories. As the tagline of the film, ‘Stories of suppressed dreams’ suggests, 'Mrs. Felani' portrays the struggles of small-town women to explore their dormant talents and break barriers to live life to the fullest. The film is produced by 3 Arrow Productions and aims to appeal to the underserved female audience that rarely comes across stories it can relate to.
‘Happy Teachers' Day’
This year, National Award-winner Mikhil Musale will dedicate 'Happy Teacher's Day', a social-thriller to teachers, with Nimrat Kaur and Radhika Madan in lead roles. The film is about some of the issues and challenges female teachers face in society and the ideals they are supposed to live up to. It remains to be seen how the film with its unusual and relevant theme and talented cast will fare in the year when some huge blockbusters are expected to release in theatres. Happy Teachers' Day is produced by Maddock Films.
