Research Symposium

BIO

Alexandra is a first-year philosophy major with an interest in applying to become a double major in classical civilizations. On the pre-law track, she is intending on attending law school upon completion of her bachelor's degree, wanting to become an attorney. She is a member of the Presidential Scholars Program, Honors Program, and the Women in Pre-Law Society, to name a few organizations.

Impacts of Female Directors on Women’s Representation in Bollywood Films

Abstract

It is important to know how women are viewed and portrayed in the media that we consume from a cross-cultural perspective. To do so in my research, I ask what the impact of female directors on female character representation in Bollywood films is. I am investigating this question to better understand how women are portrayed in films with different cultural expectations than in America. I conducted my research by watching a series of movies that I was assigned and accounted for each female character that was a “speaking character,” a character that spoke at least one distinct line in the film. Data was compiled into qualitative surveys which noted aspects such as how often the woman was a love interest, when she was the subject of a dream or a dance, or if she displayed any qualities that were culturally linked to traditionally feminine roles. These surveys were then compared to others’ surveys and edited after peer review for accuracy. In my results, I found that there is still more work to be done to reach a comprehensive conclusion. The next step is to continue reviewing more Bollywood films that are directed by women. This suggests that this is an ongoing process that will continue to reflect and observe the impact that gender inclusivity has on film. This implies that cultural shifts throughout time never have a concrete ending and can always be improved.

Keywords: Women, Bollywood, Film