Old Tamil movies that showed the unexplored side of women

In the recent past, many movies have been directed with the story line based on women power and the stories also focus on women centric rather than just stardom of a hero or an actress who plays the damsel in distress. Tamil movie industry has given many successful women centric movies; but this is not a step achieved overnight or just by few directors. The work for this has been going on for years. Here are a few Tamil movies that are dated back in the 80s and 90s that showed us the unexplored side of women in films.

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Directed by Balachander, the film features Sivakumar, Suhasini Mani Ratnam, Sulakshana and Delhi Ganesh. The story revolves around the Carnatic singer JKB. Being married, he falls in love with his fan Sindhu. When Sindhu gives birth to JKB’s child, the society does not accept the extra marital affairs. Sindhu gives her baby to Bhairavi, JKB’s lawfully wedded wife and leaves the town. The movie broke all stereotypes of women who gave birth without getting married.

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Directed by Balachander, the movie featured Sujatha in the lead role. Playing the role of Kavitha, Sujatha is in charge of her big family. As her father elopes and brother becomes a drunkard, Kavitha becomes the sole bread-winner of her family. She loses her love, happiness and choice as she tries to settle the life of her sisters, mother, brother’s children. Kavitha plays the role of a single woman who is independent, mature and fierce. Another character in the movie, who plays the role of Kavitha’s friend also leads her life well after she gets an abortion.

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Directed by Balachander, the film was released in 1996. The film featured Prakash Raj, Geetha and Rahman. Geetha plays the role of Chellamma and is married to Prakash Raj, a businessman. Chellamma is a professional singer and not being able to conceive, Prakash Raj humiliates her and divorces her. Another character named Kalki played by Shruti is an independent woman who lives by her own rules. Following the motto of ‘Her body, Her choice’, Kalki gets pregnant without a wedlock but she was not slut shamed in the movie. The movie broke a lot of stereotypes and even today it is relevant to Indian society.

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The movie featured Revathi, Urvasi and Rohini in lead roles and Nasser as the antagonist. Directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao, the story was written by Kamal Haasan and the film focussed on how three working women handled and took matters in their hands against their boss who harassed them often in the workplace.

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Directed by Rudraiah the movie featured Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Sripriya and Saritha. It was released in 1978. The movie is about a woman named Manju played by Sripriya who works for a male chauvinist boss named Arun played by Kamal Haasan. Arun who is a married man helps Manju to film a documentary on women’s lifestyle based from different background and falls in love with her when she walks him through equality and feminism.

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