#WomensDaySpecial: Sruthi Hariharan recommends nine films about feminine energy, love, and flaws

Women's Day, in its truest essence, has always warranted a deeper and more prevalent look at the fundamentals of gender equality in any current society. Along with the celebration and marking of many astonishing feats that women have to their name, the day also calls for reflection and emphasis on things of the past and those that are to come. And cinema, in this regard, holds the value of a time capsule that traps current sensibilities and lets us all understand the evolving concept of "entertainment". To our aid comes actor Sruthi Hariharan who shares a fun list of films that not only celebrate womanhood but also humanize their female characters and tell poignant stories that are of the highest artistic value.

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'His Girl Friday' was highly recommended by a friend of mine and despite being an old film, it was quite ahead of its time. It addresses many issues that we still talk about with respect to women and how they receive unfair treatment at their workplaces. The film is all about the lead character, played by Rosalind Russell, and her gumption and self-belief in a man's world. You know, there would be men or people around to constantly pull you down but it all waters down to what you want to do with your life and the kind of faith you have yourself. Plus, the film is a great comedy so it's such a worthwhile watch!

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'Queen' is easily one of my all-time favorites and despite the fact that it has been made by a male filmmaker, you stay connected with the main character throughout. Most importantly, it's a film that's fun, comical, emotional, and very entertaining in general - I move with the character of Rani which makes me want to be like her. Also, the dichotomy or the contrast you see between women of two different kinds - one played by Lisa Hayden and the other by Kangana - and how effortlessly they forge a bond. For me, that was quite beautiful.

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"I can't wait to show this film to my daughter because it's such a beautiful, caring film about homosexuality and love. The setting, the detailing, and the climax portion of the film carry so much for me, and though I am tempted to discuss more about the film, I wouldn't want to ruin anything for the reader. I would only wish that anyone who's reading this should go watch the film right way!

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Another film I love immensely and mainly because of the flawed central character. Sure, there's exaggeration throughout, and one can't be sure if Silk Smitha's life transpired the way it did in the film, but I commend the fact it puts a morally grey character forward as its protagonist. Much like with the recent film 'Gangubai Kathiawadi', you could argue that this story too provides an antagonist a pedestal to justify her actions but these women were responsible for their own actions and forged on with their heads held high. I am a Vidya Balan fan forever now.

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Arguably one of the best and my most favorite films on a revolutionary. Salma Hayek immerses herself completely into the character, be it with the look with the unibrow or the body language and overall demeanor. You know, women grow up with such false beauty standards - right from waxing your limbs to getting your eyebrows done for all kinds of aesthetic nonsense - and this film challenges it all. Her performance is so unapologetic and real that it gives you, as a woman, so much faith to accept yourself for what you are. I must have watched the film over a 100 times already!

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Of late, we are watching a lot of films about the female perspective and many of them have cropped from the male gaze. I feel it is wonderful that men are stepping up to etch more delicate and real, flawed female characters but that said, in my opinion, women writers and directors always manage to get to newer depths that their male counterparts may not be able to. And that's exactly what Alankrita Shrivastava has done with 'Lipstick Under My Burkha' wherein she explores the sexual desires of an aged woman and I suppose, most male writers wouldn't be comfortable discussing this. This particular film doesn't make you cringe either so that's one more reason why you need more female writers.

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Another film that watched fairly recently and I love how the mother character is humanized in the film. In our societies, especially, one sees the position of the mother being so holy and sanctimonious that it is hard to imagine a film like that getting made in Kannada or anywhere in India. I loved Meryl Streep's performance in the film.

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Although this film does victimize its women, it also does so much justice to the inner strength that women are generally known for. It reminds me of how our mothers fought the society and still conform to its norms - "Pinjra Tod Ke" is a cliched line that we hear all the time but 'Dor' reflects exactly that for me. The amazing friendship between Ayesha Takia and Gul Panag is really the heart of the film.

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