Women directors in Indian cinema have successfully carved a niche for themselves. From the inception of cinema women have explored the field of film direction. According to the history of Indian cinema the first female director was Fatma Begum. Today a host of names appear as one tries to recollect the names of women directors in Indian cinema. While some of them have moved overseas and make films for the international audience, others are still making films in India. However the binding force between these set of women directors is their attachment to Indian tradition.

Women Directors in West India: Ace women directors like Sai Paranjype, Meghna Gulzar, Tanuja Chandra and several others hail from western India. Their films are women centric but at the same time these do not convey feministic messages. They are mainly social dramas that deal with relationships and the changing face of women in the contemporary Indian Diaspora.

Women Directors in South India: The women directors down south have dealt with social issues such as AIDS. Their films show women as modern individuals fighting for their survival. Tinged with emotions they reveal the present social conditions and the role and position of women in the society.

Women Directors in East India: One of the prolific directors from Kolkata is Aparna Sen. The winner of several awards, including the National Award, is known for her bold subjects. But Sen has also made films that deal simply with relations that are in some ways indescribable.

The future of women directors seems bright enough with talented people like Zoya Akhtar and Farah Khan setting out to entertain the audience with their well woven scripts.