Top 8 Socially Relevant Feature Films (Domestic)
1. Pink
This Amitabh Bachchan starrer, created waves amongst the masses and classes alike because of its relevance to the current social scenario in India and the issues it dealt with. The film revolves around the issue of gender based discrimination and gender based violence and openly addresses the issue of consent.
2. Dear Zindagi
This Shahrukh Khan and Alia Bhatt starrer challenges you to look at mental illness differently and in a more positive light. Dear Zindaggi breaks the taboo around mental health and argues that people who seek professional help to get ‘mentally fit’ aren’t crazy.
3. Udta Punjab
Udta Punjab is a brilliantly made film that deals with the issue of drugs in Punjab and how the drugs routed from Central Asia to Afghanistan come into india via punjab and how this has caused issues at several levels over a period of time.
4. Kapoor and Sons
Kapoor and Sons proved to be a game-changer for how gays are portrayed in Indian cinema. Fawad Khan plays the character of the “gay son” in this movie minus the cliched stereotypes the are normally associated with gays in bollywood films, hence, finally addresses a issue that’s real and showing it how it is in reality.
5. Nil Batte Sanate
Ashwini Iyer Tiwari has beautifully narrated the story of a housemaid who wants to get her daughter educated and in an effort to do so, finishes her own education. The movie addresses issues of women empowerment and education of the girl child.
6. Chalk and Duster
This Juhi Chawla and Shabana Azmi starrer, brings to light the crucial issue of mistreatment of teachers in the private sector and how education is being commercialized over the years.
7. Roughbook
Roughbook, directed by Ananth Narayan Mahadevan, is a film that takes a hard look on the current education system in India.
8. Dangal
Dangal deals with the extraordinary life of Mahavir Singh, an ex-wrestler who trains his two daughters to become wrestlers. The movie deals with the issue of gender equality and women's empowerment in a beautiful and emotional way.
The passing year - 2016 - was cinematically significant for three original works in the independent category. All three films reflect women’s vulnerability, particularly in our society. However, these films did not fail to project an affirmative view. They left us with a sense that change, or a shift, as far as human aspirations matter, is not impossible.
On top of the short list is Ashwini Tiwari Aiyer’s debut:NEEL BATTE SANATTA. Her refreshing narrative revolves around the unlikely protagonist - a domestic maid. The maid is a single mother raising her daughter by working in affluent homes. Her aspirations, naturally, concern the schoolgirl daughter. Needless to add as is the case always. No prostitute, or call girl, wants her daughters to follow that inglorious profession. It is the same with maids. I recall Lata, a victim of domestic violence we interviewed for CHAR DIWARI. She worked as house maid to educate her only child with the comforting idea that her daughter :
par likh ke kuch to banegi, !! apne pao pe khari hogi !
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