Films that celebrate the passion and resilience of women

With International Women's Day round the corner, what better way to celebrate the day than by watching films that portray women as real role models?

Mary Kom
This film is a biopic of India’s boxing champion Mary Kom  about a woman who was from a small village without any resources. Mary Kom had chased her dream until it became a reality. The movie shows her struggles and her unstoppable attitude.

Queen
Queen is a story that can be relatable to every other girl who has to compromise her feeling for the sake of her family and fiancé. The movie speaks about the story of a shy, middle-class girl who is abandoned by her fiancé on the day of her wedding. However, she decides to take up the honeymoon all along and embarks upon a journey to meet people from different nationalities and professions. She understands that her life is much beyond the boundaries set by her family or finding the perfect groom.

Little Women
The cinematic adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic book Little Women, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, and Timotée Chalamet, has been praised for its originality and creativity. The story follows the four March sisters, Meg, Beth, Amy, and Jo, as they pursue their various goals against the backdrop of the Civil War. We learn from the women to stand up for what we believe in and to never accept defeat.

Coco before Chanel
The movie centres on Coco Chanel, who works as a seamstress and cabaret performer before she falls in love with and works as a fashion consultant for the attractive English businessman Arthur Capel. Chanel is one of the most famous and influential women in fashion history. The film not only showcases Chanel’s great aura and personality, but it is also a classy, heartfelt romance.

Iron Lady
One of Hollywood’s top performers, Meryl Streep is known for playing Margaret Thatcher in the iconic film Iron Lady. The autobiographical drama movie follows Thatcher from her earliest years as she battles to overcome class and gender hurdles to become the first female prime minister of England.

Hidden Figures
The movie tells the real-life story of three Black women—Katherine, Mary and Dorothy—who worked at NASA in the 1960s. Despite the racism and gender inequality they face, these talented "human computers" continue to pursue their dreams and passions in the white male-dominated industry. In the end, the trio played a key role in the momentous launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit.  

Becoming Jane
The film follows the early life of Jane Austen (Anne Hathaway), the beloved English writer best known for her novels Emma, Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility. Born in an impoverished family, Austen is under pressure as her parents expect her to marry a wealthy young man. She rebels, as she believes that in marriage she would lose her autonomy.

Frida
Set in Mexico City, Frida is a biographical film of artist Frida Kahlo, who is known for her bold approach to art and ambivalent attitude towards traditional notions of womanhood. The movie follows the confident, independent and sexually liberated Frida as she navigates her complex and enduring relationship with her mentor, Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina), along with her illicit affairs with Leon Trotsky (Geoffrey Rush) and various women.

Erin Brockovich
A single mother of three, Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts), is stuck in a tough situation after losing a personal injury lawsuit. With no choice, the unemployed Brockovich agrees to work as a legal assistant for her lawyer to maintain her livelihood, but she fails to live up to everyone’s expectations at work due to her inappropriate clothing and stiff manners. Nonetheless, she develops a determination to fight for justice and plays a vital role in an anti-pollution lawsuit.

Must watch this month

Rani Mukerji’s latest film Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway releasing in theatres on 17 March documents the true story of a couple whose world turned upside down after their children were taken away from them in a foreign land. It is a story of a mother’s resilience who fought tooth and nail with authorities at large to safeguard and reunite with her children.