“I feel like it’s become open hunting season in how women are attacked, and it’s not because of who we are as people, it’s because of how we look or our age. […] You’d be surprised at the love that you have in our crazy industry. The women have bonded together and have sort of become this tribe of trying to take care of each other and be there for each other, in a way, because the minute you step out, it’s an onslaught.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   — Sandra Bullock

Despite all our progress—technological leaps in storytelling, rising levels of education and evolving audiences, gender stereotyping on screen continues to distort and mock the portrayal of men (to some extent), women, and the LGBTQ+ community. Characters remain locked in outdated boxes, their narratives frozen in time while the world outside has moved on.

The crafters of our screen caricatures, wielding one of the most powerful tools of influence, often persist in reinforcing stale stereotypes instead of reflecting today’s realities. Are we mirroring the world as it is, or merely recycling roles of a bygone era? And if these roles are fading in real life, why do they endure so stubbornly on screen?

To explore these questions, Only Women hosted a panel discussion on the topic, “Gender Stereotyping in Films, TV and OTT Platforms: Is It Time for a Change?” on the 22^nd of June,  2025.

The panel featured:

• Suresh Nair – Screenwriter (Namastey London, Singh Is Kinng, Kahaani, D-Day, Bang Bang, Airlift; National Award-winning Delhi Safari), former journalist and comic strip writer (Kopykatman).
• Sejal Shah – Director (Costao), producer-writer, former journalist, and co-founder of Bombay Fables (Asur, Decoupled, Serious Men, Saare Jahan Se Achcha).
• Komal Nahta – Film trade analyst, journalist-publisher, TV show host (ETC Bollywood Business), and advisory board member, Cinema Capital.
• Manasi Salvi – Acclaimed television actress (Aashirwad, Aai Shappath, Asa Mee Ashi Tee Khel Mandala, Sarivar Jani, Koi Apna Sa, Awaz – Dil Se Dil Tak, Asambhav, Kaay Ghadla Tya Ratri?, Sapne Suhane Ladkpan Ke). She holds a Visharad in Bharatnatyam, has acted in many ad films too and is a podcaster (@InOur Teens).
• Vidyottama Sharma – Founder of Only Women, Editor-in-Chief of Content Creators, host, and former journalist. She moderated the discussion.

Amidst much laughter and camaraderie, the panel delivered sharp insights on entrenched gender biases in the screen industry. The panelists’ wit and humour often had the members in splits throughout.

“Filmmaking is a commercial enterprise—art plus commerce. Every filmmaker wants to make a brilliantly artistic film, but also recover the money invested,” said Komal Nahta. “Change will be gradual; it can’t happen overnight.”

Suresh Nair observed that all kinds of portrayals—progressive or questionable—continue to coexist, noting, “Even Hollywood took years to make Bond’s boss a woman, and that too only went so far. Our realities are very different.”

Sejal Shah highlighted audience influence: “Ultimately, people are watching these films. My mom watches Housefull and doesn’t think twice about it. Filmmakers reflect the society they come from. If their beliefs are regressive, it shows on screen.”

Manasi Salvi spoke about the disservice films sometimes do to television’s progress: “Television is a medium of women—roles are written for women, consumed by women. But one film can come along and erode years of our work.”

The discussion was graciously hosted by Sejal Shah at her Bombay Fables office. A special thanks to Manasi Salvi for bringing along photographer Prem, who captured some candid and memorable moments from the brunch meeting.

The discussion, amidst much laughter, thanks to the bonhomie among the panelists, brought home some stark points on gender stereotyping, while keeping the members regaled with witty comments.

“Filmmaking is a commercial enterprise. It is art plus commerce. Every filmmaker wants to make a fantastically artistic film but simultaneously he wants to recover the money invested,” said film trade analyst, editor-publisher and TV show host Komal Nahta. “Everything will not change overnight; it will happen at a slow pace”.

Suresh Nair was of the opinion that all types of films, whether they carried ahead a questionable side to the portrayal or emphasised the progressive side of contemporary women. “Even Hollywood took a long time to make Bond’s boss a woman and they could do only that much”, he said. Giving the example of the infamous Sonam Raghuvanshi case he said, “Our realities too our very different”.

Sejal Shah, while driving home the point on treatment meted out to women vis-à-vis men in the screen business said, “Let’s not forget that there are many pressures at play. Ultimately, people are watching these films. For instance, my mom watches Housefull and doesn’t think twice about it.” She added, “Filmmakers reflect the society they come from. They bring their personal beliefs to the screen, and if those views are regressive, it shows in the film”.

Manasi, a well-known television actress, felt many films did a disservice to the pathbreaking work carried out by many women on television. She said, “Television is a medium of women. Roles are written for women, consumed by women. But one film comes along and erodes our years of work”.

The panel discussion was hosted by Only Women member Sejal Shah at her Bombay Fables office. It was also generous of Manasi Salvi to bring along her photographer Prem who captured some memorable candid moments at the do.