It is said that the growth of a nation is apparent from the progress of its women in society. The women directors in South India have been active from the1930s although the first female director was Fatma Begum. As far as south Indian film industry is concerned TP Rajlakshmi is recognised as the first female director in Indian cinema.

In the year 1936 TP Rajlakshmi directed her first movie, Miss Kamala. The film was based on her novel. Her other directorial venture had been Madurai Veeran (1938). Another women director in South India is Vijaya Nirmala. She directed her first film in 1971. The movie was Meena and she went onto direct 40 films in Telegu, Tamil and Malayalam.

Revathy is a Malayalam filmmaker. She has also acted in several South Indian films. Till date she has directed two films, Mitr, My Friend (2000) and Phir Milenge (2004). Her first film fetched her the National Award as the Best Director in English Film.

Prema Karnath, a prolific women director in south India, was a well known theatre personality as well. She is also considered as the first ever Kannada woman director. Her directorial debut, Phaniyamma, was based on a Kannada novel. The film centers around a young girl who is widowed at an early age and fights against the stigma attached to her status in a male dominated society.

Women Directors in South India dealt with subjects that were to be explored at a later stage too by the male directors of Indian cinema.