#PowerWomenOnScreen: Celebs reveal their all-time favourites

We have witnessed hundreds of powerful female characters on the big screen – some that made us laugh or cry or just love or hate them. From Nargis in Mother India to Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich or Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada, the list is endless. On International Women’s Day, let’s hear it from a few celebs about the female characters that have influenced them the most. Read on…Among all the characters I watched on screen, Nita (Supriya Devi) from Meghe Dhaka Tara is my favourite. Every time I watch the film, tears roll down my cheeks. Nita symbolises courage, struggle, honour and sacrifice, and yet, she is so strong. Her relationship with her brother is a unique one. There is something divine in her selflessness. That’s very inspiring for me. It is because of Nita’s influence, I take great care in choosing my characters in the films I do.There are quite a few women character portrayals on the big screen that have left a lasting impression on me. Of late, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman has been deeply inspiring for me. It’s a first-of-its-kind character for any woman to play. The cinematic world, which is increasingly witnessing strong women characters globally, is still used to male superheroes. Wonder Woman is a character with a fighting spirit who has made a mark in this male-dominated world of superheroes. Also, Gal Gadot, with her towering personality and undeniable charm, has lent the right amount of screen presence to the character.One of my favourite onscreen characters is Kathy (Rachel Weisz) in The Whistleblower. The character is a police officer who gets posted in war-torn Bosnia. That’s when she uncovers a human trafficking ring. She loses her job, and yet gets to the bottom of the case. I loved the character for her integrity, commitment and love. And it also reveals how you would not want to mess up with a woman on a mission.I loved Madhabi Mukherjee’s character in Satyajit Ray’s Charulata. Both the character and Madhabidi’s acting impacted me deeply. With the loneliness in her eyes and those forlorn looks, she skillfully managed to establish Charulata’s situation in the house she lived. Charu was interested in literature, poetry, but was barely noticed by her husband. The way Madhabidi portrayed the character of a bored and neglected and yet a strong housewife through her acting and body language is commendable.I find Koni (Sriparna Banerjee) in Saroj Dey’s Koni and Paromita (Rituparna Sengupta) in Aparna Sen’s Paromitar Ek Din quite inspiring. On one hand, Koni overcomes socio-economic challenges to become a champion and on the other, Paromita goes through the ups and downs of everyday life in a simple yet layered tale, sharing a beautiful bond with her mother-in-law and sister-in-law.I absolutely love Smita Patil’s portrayal of Usha in the Shyam Benegal classic, Bhumika. I think what inspired me most in the film is the kind of emancipation Smita’s character stood for. The unapologetic selfishness, the vulnerability and the assertiveness of a female star in the ’70s was quite a statement. I always thought a bit of that character was embedded in Smita. The way the character renounced the refuge of patriarchy remains international for me. Bhumika remains a perfect reflection of changing and challenging gender roles in society.I was probably in my early 20s when I first watched Aparna Sen’s 36 Chowringhee Lane with my uncle. While the film has influenced me in many other ways, I was particularly struck by the character of the middle-aged Anglo-Indian teacher, Violet Stoneham (Jennifer Kendal), who lived alone in a flat at 36 Chowringhee Lane in erstwhile Calcutta. That character made me realise that you don’t have to be a biological mother to be a mother and that a person can be strong and soft at the same time.