Research Symposium

BIO

My name is Kayla Bretan, and I am from Shelton, Connecticut. As a passionate psychology major, I am deeply intrigued by the complexities of human behavior, particularly within the realm of industrial/organizational psychology. My aspiration is to immerse myself in this field and collaborate with major companies to enhance workplace dynamics, optimize productivity, and foster a positive organizational culture.

Representation of Women in Bollywood Films

Abstract

During this study, we explored the influence of women directors on the portrayal of female characters in Bollywood films. In the past, Bollywood films cast women in supporting roles with dependence on the male characters. This is mainly because women were being portrayed from the male perspective, by male directors. In recent years, there has been an increase in women directors in Bollywood films who are carving away at the misogynistic stereotypes. This study focused on a carefully chosen sample of three films directed by women, utilizing the film coding technique to assess both the quantity and quality of female characters. This data was organized and submitted into Qualtrics Surveys for each female character in the films. These questions helped determine what each female character's purpose and role was in the film. After all three films had their data collected, we were able to combine the data into charts to make connections between the films. This work is still ongoing, so these results remain inconclusive, but we have begun to notice evident patterns in the data. The future of this project will allow us to see the progress being made in Bollywood films in relation to its characters.

Keywords: Bollywood, Film, Female Representation, Film Coding