The names that made it to the list for the 92nd Academy Awards in Best Director category are Martin Scorsese for his film “The Irishman", Todd Phillips for "Joker", Sam Mendes for "1917", Quentin Tarantino for "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" and Bong Joon Ho for "Parasite" even though many of the year's most acclaimed movies were directed by women including Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women”, the film that has won nominations in Best Picture, Costume Design, Score, and Actress in a Leading and a Supporting Role category.
While we ponder over what made the International jury produce all-male nominations in the Best Director category, the Indian box office is looking forward to welcoming stories that have the potential to touch your heart and soul with female forces taking charge behind the camera.
Meghna Gulzar’s directorial “Chhappak”
The movie is based on the life and struggles of an acid attack survivor in re-establishing herself and her fight for justice. With top-rated Indian actress Deepika Padukone playing the protagonist, the film is based on the life story of Lakshmi Agarwal who was attacked by a man, whose marriage advances were spurned by the victim.
Agarwal, who survived the attack, became a symbol of resistance and hope for many women who have survived acid attacks. She is also the recipient of the International Women of Courage Award, conferred upon her by the former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. The film was released on 10 January and has been receiving good responses at the box office.
Ashwini Iyer Tiwari’s “Panga”
Ashwini, who has previously directed 2016 released film "Nil Battey Sannata", is back with the epic tale through "Panga".
Starring the "Queen" of Bollywood Kangana Ranaut, who has won multiple National Film Awards for her films in the past, in the lead role in the movie inspired by the life of a national-level Kabbadi player from India.
It depicts the ordeal of a mother to become successful and shows her fights against the stereotyped mindsets of society to follow her dreams. The film will hit the screen on 24 January.
Anu Menon’s directorial “Shakuntala Devi”
With compelling and captivating Vidya Balan in the lead role, the film is the biographical tale of Shakuntala Devi, who was known as the "human computer". The film also stars young actors like Sanya Malhotra, Jisshu Sengupta and Amit Sadh.
According to information provided in the public domain, the film will show how Shakuntala Devi conquered the world with numbers but was unable to win over her daughter's heart due to particular circumstances. The film will hit the screen in May this year
Alankrita Shrivastava’s directorial “Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare”
The film is a light comedy satire starring Konkona Sen Sharma and Bhumi Pednekar. It's a story about two middle-class cousins and a secret that they share and how they start working as cyber lovers for a dating website. The film's release date is yet to be announced, but expectations are high for the director who has previously given us hits like "Turning 30" and "Lipstick Under My Burkha",
Mira Nair’s “A Suitable Boy”
It is one of Nair's most anticipated projects and stars the very talented Bollywood actress Tabu and the industry newcomer Ishan Khattar. This mini-drama series is adapted from the novel of the same name by Vikram Seth. The shooting of the series began in September 2019 in Lucknow, the capital of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. It is scheduled to be aired in June 2020.
Diya Ghosh’s directorial “Bob Biswas”
Diya Ghosh, who had a successful stint with her first short film titled "Neighbourhood Ties" and was also nominated at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018, is making her Bollywood debut with "Bob Biswas". Starring Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan's son Abhishek Bachchan, the film revolves around a contract killer Bob Biswas, seen in Diya's father Sujoy Ghosh's superhit movie "Kahaani" starring Vidya Balan. According to reports, the film shooting will start in November this year.
So all in all, 2020 is poised to be remembered as a year when women came out in full power to woo moviegoers and critics alike.