Actress Saumya Tandon, recognized for her sharp sense of humor and varied roles, including the unforgettable Anita Bhabhi, has quietly opined on the changing trend of women’s portrayal in Indian films, especially in the case of large-scale action franchises.
Although she was quite careful not to point out anyone specifically, her remarks made during an interview recently clearly indicated the pattern which Yash Raj Films’ increasing Spy Universe has been following.
Tandon mentioned a good change, saying that the current character-driven narrative does not provide any space for the good old Bollywood cliché of heroines being confined to luxuriously shot dance numbers in beautiful places.
Evolving Heroine Archetype
The main point that Tandon makes is that the occurrence of song-and-dance acts, especially for female protagonists in mega-budget spy thrillers, is becoming less and less important.
She stated that when the “story does not permit” the heroines to be shown “singing songs on beaches,” it means they are more and more accepted and less and less treated as mere accessories. This story-centric technique requires that the female character’s presence is essential to mission progress, so that she is not simply a visual break or a romantic interest for the male lead.
The Dhurandhar actress indirectly hints at a much wanted change from the times when a heroine’s role was mostly marked by her looking wonderful in the film’s exotic locations, irrespective of the genre.
Substance Over Glamour in Spy Films
This review, though mild, reveals the spectators’ increasing preference for content over luxury, especially when huge amounts of money are expended on creating an engaging visual universe.
The situation is made more apparent by the subtle allusion to the YRF Spyverse, which has given the likes of Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone the opportunity to showcase their talents in dynamic roles, albeit through the medium of highly stylized music.
Tandon advocates the position that the female leads in these big-budget productions must be main characters in the spy game and action, with their presence on-screen determined by the needs of the suspenseful plot. Her cutting remark is a summons to the industry to always strive for more inclusive, multifaceted, and plotually pivotal female characters.
A recent media graduate, Bhumi Vashisht is currently making a significant contribution as a committed content writer. She brings new ideas to the media sector and is an expert at creating strategic content and captivating tales, having working in the field from past four months.
