How Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Jyothika Have Uplifted Women-Centric Films In South India

Every year on March 8th, International Women's Day is observed to honour women's cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements. Today, as the globe celebrates International Women's Day, take a look at some of the characters performed by women in the South cinema industry who are altering the way female actresses are represented in films.

Films have the greatest impact on audiences, and throughout the years, the Indian film industry has altered, with more women portrayed as autonomous and powerful on the big screen. The audience is constantly looking forward to more confident and career-oriented characters.

The south film industry, which was previously thought to be dominated by male actors, has changed dramatically. Women are now being given better roles and the characters they play are not just glamour material for the film.

In these times when the industry is changing for good, actresses from the South Indian film industry have played many inspirational and powerful roles. Have a look at some of the best South Indian films by female actors. 

'Tuck Jagadish'

'Tuck Jagadish,' written and directed by Shiva Nirvana, is a 2021 Indian Telugu-language action drama film. The film stars Nani and Ritu Varma. In the film, a tax official strives to reform all of the village's property concerns while simultaneously attempting to reconnect with his elder brother's family following an inheritance dispute. While talking about her role in the film, Ritu Varma said in an interview with IndianExpress, "I play a girl named Gummadi Varalakshmi. On the screen, my character looks authoritative yet innocent. Although my role is traditionally rooted in the movie, she speaks her mind and fights for what is right."

'Valimai'

H. Vinoth wrote and directed the Tamil-language action thriller 'Valimai' that released in theatres in 2022. Ajith Kumar, Karthikeya, Huma Qureshi, and Gurbani Judge appear in the film. It follows Arjun, a police officer who is tasked to track down a gang of criminal motorcycles after they commit horrible atrocities. Gurbani Judge, who portrayed Sara, Karthikeya's high-tech criminal lover in 'Valimai,' captured the attention of many fans. Her fit figure and quick moves in fights and bike chases have garnered her a large number of followers.

'Biriyaani'

Sajin Baabu wrote and directed 'Biriyaani,' a 2020 Indian Malayalam-language drama film. In the prominent parts are Kani Kusruti and Shailaja Jala. For her performance in this film, actress Kani Kusruti won best actress at the 42nd Moscow Film Festival’s BRICS competition section, best actress at the Caleidoscope Indian Film Festival, second-best actress award at the Imagine Film Festival in Madrid, Spain, and the 2019 Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress at Kerala State Film Awards.

'U Turn' 

Pawan Kumar wrote and directed the mystery thriller 'U Turn.' The primary protagonists in the film are Samantha Akkineni, Aadhi, and Bhoomika Chawla. The premise of the film centres around the death of two individuals on a motorbike who violate a traffic signal at a certain overpass in Hyderabad, and the subsequent capture of the perpetrator by a police inspector and an intern journalist pair.

'Uyare'

'Uyare' is a widely acclaimed Malayalam film from 2019. It tells a tale of an aviation student who escapes an acid assault but loses her career as a result. Parvathy Thiruvothu plays Pallavi Raveendran, who has the ability to internalise the sorrow of self-loss. The plot revolves around a father's relationship with his ambitious daughter and her objectives, as well as a positive relationship between two employees and a subtle toxicity in relationships. Pallavi's journey from someone who has had her goals crushed to someone who rises above it is the most important component of the film.

'Ponmagal Vandhal'

J. J. Fredrick wrote and directed the 2020 Tamil-language courtroom drama film 'Ponmagal Vandhal.' It centres around a rookie lawyer who leads to the reopening of an infamous 15-year-old case involving a deceased killer accused of kidnapping and murdering young girls. Jyothika's performance as a lawyer, plot, and the film's social message were all lauded by fans and audiences.

'Shyam Singha Roy'

'Shyam Singha Roy' is a Telugu-language period romance drama film directed by Rahul Sankrityan based on a storyline by Janga Satyadev. Nani plays a dual role in the film, with Sai Pallavi, Krithi Shetty, and Madonna Sebastian. It is partially set in Kolkata in the 1970s and is focused on the idea of reincarnation. 'Shyam Singha Roy' is a reincarnation drama that has an empathetic portrayal of women from the devadasi community. In the film, Sai Pallavi plays the role of a Devdasi woman who falls in love with Shyam Singha Roy, a 1960s Telugu-Bengali social reformer and writer with communist ideology.