It is true that women centric films in Indian cinema are rare but they do exist. There have been many innovative scriptwriters and film producers who have given a unique importance to women in Hindi cinema, breaking the shackles of set formulae. One of the early films that dealt with the plight of untouchable films was Achhyut Kanya.

In the early years of Indian cinema it was Bimal Roy who made a host of films in which his heroines had the lead part to play. Whether it was Parineeta, Sujata, Bandini, Biraj Bou and other films were mainly women centric. One of the outstanding commercial hits of all times, Seeta Aur Geeta concentrated more on its heroine than the two heroes. Besides such mirrored plots, some films have focused exclusively on the heroine, and woven the script around a female central character. In such films, the heroine has no prototype. Jaya Bhaduri`s Guddi was one of the early hits where the innocent girl-next-door image of a star-struck teenager became representative of each school-going girl for years to come. The educated wife changes course midway from a happily married woman to a leading politician as in Aandhi. In Khoon Bhari Maang, the plain-Jane wealthy woman, Rekha, is apparently murdered by a scheming, Casanova husband, Kabir Bedi. After a miraculous escape the post-plastic surgery, glamorous wife returns to seek revenge.

In Aakhir Kyon, Smita Patil portrays a jilted wife who, after the infidelity of her husband, rebuilds her life and becomes a famous writer. Smita Patil also starred in Ketan Mehta`s Mirch Masala wherein a woman refuses to give in to the pestering of a subehdaar. She saves her honor by killing the wicked man. Smita and Shabana Azmi came together in Mahesh Bhatt`s Arth. Much later in Mrityudand, Shabana Azmi defies society and bears the child of her lover while her husband hides behind a facade of renunciation and celibacy. Deepa Mehta`s Fire brings lesbianism to the Hindi screen for the very first time. Filhaal, starring Sushmita Sen and Tabu, is another feature film where friendship between two women is explored. In this film the woman is ready to bear and carry her friend`s child, and give life in a way only a woman can. And of course who can forget Meenakshi Sheshadri`s powerhouse performance in Damini and Tabu`s controlled portrayal in Astitva!

Besides the Hindi films Bengali and south Indian films have also the seen in the development of women centric films. In Bengal Mrinal Sen made a bunch of films that deal primarily with women. Films like Neel Akasher Neechey and Punoscho are instances of such films. While discussing about women centric films one cannot miss Satyajit Ray and his films. Charulata, Devi, Teen Kanya, Mahanagar, Pather Panchali and other Satyajit Ray movies explore different facets of women. Besides these, Ritwik Ghatak`s Meghe Dhaka Tara and Subarnarekha are considered path breaking films in this genre. Much later it was Aparna Sen whose films questioned the traditional mores that were imposed on women. Her films presented women breaking away from the age old conventions to create a world of their own. Paroma, Paromitar Ek Din and Sati are such instances. Women have also found a special place in the works of the contemporary Bengali directors like Rituparno Ghosh. Dahan, Unishe April, Bariwali, Doshar, Chokher Bali and others can easily be termed as women centric films.

Other regional films like Assamese cinema have also dealt with women centric films. Bhaben Saikia`s Agnisnaan, Jahnu Barua`s Firongoti, Dr Shantanu Bordoloi`s Adajya and several other films have time and again raised the problems of the contemporary women. Down south films like K.S.Sethumadhavan`s Stri, Prema Karanth`s Phaniyamma, Girish Kasarvalli`s Kraurya, Balu Mahendra`s Moonram Pirai (remade as Sadma in Hindi) or Adoor Gopalakrishnan`s Mathilukal treat women as their protagonist.

An interesting phenomenon in Indian films is the vamp. She is a tangible contrast to the all-virtuous heroine in Indian cinema. Quite often as a cabaret dancer, her presence was essentially to add glamour. Popularized by Cuckoo, perfected by Helen, and followed through by Bindu and Kalpana Iyer, the vamp once in a while traded places with the heroine.

With the gradual passage of time women issues have been more properly addressed in Indian films. The recent day films like Lajja deal with exploitation of women at various levels of society. Even the English films in India have also come up with the problems that women face. These include domestic violence, stifled aspirations, loneliness, widowhood and others. Fire, Provoked, Water, Bend It Like Beckham, Mitr: My Friend and other films address different women centric problems.

Some of the popular Hindi women centric films till date are Mother India, Seeta Aur Geeta, Sau Din Saas Ke, Insaaf Ka Tarazu, Arth, Ek Pal, Mirch Masala, Khoon Bhari Maang, Damini and Lajja.