Lights, camera, equality: O Womaniya! 2024 report unveils the current state of gender equality in Indian entertainment

Picture this: a bustling film set, bright lights casting long shadows, megaphones blaring commands, and the smell of chai wafting through the air. Amid the action, something feels off. Look closer, and you’ll notice an unsettling pattern—most of the shouting voices belong to men. Women? They’re few and far between, often relegated to costume trailers or makeup rooms. While the camera may pan to the heroine, behind the lens, it’s still very much a man’s world. This imbalance isn’t just a passing scene—it’s a silent antagonist that’s shaped the narrative of Indian cinema for decades. But every blockbuster needs a turning point, and perhaps that moment is here. Enter O Womaniya!—a game-changing gender report, now in its fourth edition.
Championed by Prime Video, researched by Ormax Media, and produced by Film Companion Studios, O Womaniya! 2024 report is a bold deep-dive into the industry’s gender dynamics, revealing both progress and persistent challenges. Streaming platforms are emerging as unsung heroes, delivering diverse female-led narratives and creating spaces for women to thrive. Beyond the screen, the report calls for proactive changes—equitable hiring practices, gender-sensitive storytelling, and dismantling barriers in traditionally male-dominated spaces. With specialised tools offering practical solutions, the report sets the stage for meaningful action.
A sobering reality check
The O Womaniya! 2024 report offers a comprehensive look at the gender disparities that continue to plague India’s entertainment industry, revealing that women account for only 15% of Heads of Departments (HODs) in crucial areas such as direction, writing, editing, production design and cinematography. This stark underrepresentation underscores the systemic challenges women face in leadership roles behind the camera. While the industry as a whole remains slow to embrace inclusivity, streaming platforms have exhibited greater gender diversity compared to theatrical productions.

The report also shines a spotlight on the transformative role of streaming platforms as they have been able to move beyond the traditional constraints of box office, offering more opportunities for women to lead both in front of and behind the camera. This shift not only offers hope for greater gender equality within the industry but is also helping reshape how audiences view and engage with stories of gender parity.
Reflecting on the report, Stuti Ramachandra, Director & Head of Production, International Originals at Prime Video India, said, "At Prime Video, we firmly believe that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is not just good to have — it is essential to driving meaningful change. We have worked intentionally and persistently to build a diverse, inclusive, and equitable ecosystem, creating more opportunities for women both, in production and within our organization. In a collaborative industry like ours, the true impact of DEI can only be realised when it is embraced across the board, with each of us committing to fostering an environment where women are seen, heard, and truly valued. O Womaniya! exemplifies the power of collaboration in addressing female representation in the industry. This latest edition of the report calls on us all to accelerate these transformative efforts—not merely taking small steps but making bold strides toward a world where opportunities and growth are defined by capability and talent, not gender."
A key feature of the O Womaniya! 2024 Report is its focus on actionable solutions, particularly through the introduction of the O Womaniya! Toolkit. This toolkit encourages creators to consider gender representation from the early stages of their projects. Only 31% of the titles analyzed passed the Toolkit, with streaming series taking the lead with 45% of them passing.

Unfiltered conversations and bold solutions

In order to discuss the ongoing challenges and progress for women in the entertainment industry, Anupama Chopra hosted the O Womaniya! Roundtable. While the findings showed some positive changes, Chopra noted that progress has been slow, with streaming platforms leading the charge in diversity. “Everything in streaming is ahead of the theatrical,” she pointed out, highlighting how OTT platforms are contributing to gender equality by offering more inclusive content. Panelists, including Richa Chadha, Ananya Panday, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Nikkhil Advani, Shakun Batra, and Stuti Ramachandra shared candid insights on both the obstacles and opportunities women face, with some surprising revelations. For instance, Ananya Panday highlighted how heroes getting a bigger hotel room during a shoot is still the accepted norm, and Shakun Batra shared how having female-first title names becomes an issue with the male leads!

The panelists offered bold solutions to drive change. Richa Chadha shared how she and her production house trained women for her debut film as a producer, while Parvathy stressed the importance of persistence and right policies in place, despite industry pressures. Ishita Moitra discussed how the presence of women on set changes its energy, marking small but important victories for gender equality. Nikkhil Advani proposed vocational training programmes for women to break into technical roles, suggesting small shifts, like replacing "spot dadas" with "spot didis," could create a ripple effect in the industry’s hiring practices.
A hopeful climax
The insights from the roundtable further underscore the power of collective action. Panelists highlighted solutions like equitable hiring practices and reimagining female characters to create a more inclusive ecosystem. Dive into the O Womaniya! 2024 report to join the movement and help shape the narrative for a more inclusive industry.
Disclaimer: This article has been created in collaboration with Prime Video by Times Internet’s Spotlight team.