REEL WOMEN, REAL STEREOTYPES: ANALYSING GENDER REPRESENTATION IN BOLLYWOOD AND MALAYALAM CINEMA

Cinema is a powerful medium through which society is shaped and reshaped. They reflect and reinforce prevailing cultural values. In Indian cinema, the portrayal of women has largely conformed to stereotypes that limit the female protagonist to the role of the devoted mother, the self-sacrificing wife or the object of male desire. In mainstream cinema, Bollywood dominates the discussion, but Malayalam cinemas have also contributed to these portrayals. These portrayals challenge or reinforce stereotypes.This paper will look at the stereotypical portrayal of women in Indian cinema to see how films create and reinforce gender roles over time. Through the study of common female archetypes, this paper will show how Indian films have often reduced women to objects of male desire, and how Indian films have suppressed women’s agency in favor of patriarchal narratives. This paper will also look at how globalization, feminism and changing social attitudes have affected the portrayal of women in cinema today, and will examine how Bollywood and Malayalam films, differ in their portrayals of women. By analyzing Bollywood and Malayalam films, this paper will look at how gender stereotypes differ across languages and cultures.By critically examining film stories, characters, and industry practices, this study seeks to uncover the historical context, cultural significance, and shifting trends in the representation of women in Indian cinema. And hence, the study contributes to the growing discussion on gender representation in cinema by calling for a more nuanced and various representation of women on screen.