7 Women-centric films to look forward to in 2017

One can’t refute the fact that Bollywood, in 2016, unabashedly celebrated girl power with films like Neerja , Akira, Nil Battey Sannata, Pink, Kahaani 2, Sarbjit and even Dangal.

It was the year when female protagonists took the centre stage, proving that they were no less than the heroes, and carried the weight of an entire film on their shoulders, including that of promotions and marketing campaigns as well.

2017, too, brings and interesting line up of films that promises to highlight the women spirit. Here are the top 7 women-centric films to watch out for this year.

After enthralling the audience last year with her fine performance in Kahaani 2, the powerhouse of talent – Vidya Balan will be seen in Begum Jaan, a film set during the partition time.

Vidya will be seen playing Begum Jaan, who is a madam of a brothel through which the line of the partition passes, rendering half the brothel to Hindustan and half to Pakistan.

Describing the film, Vidya said, “The film tells the story of survivors as they defy nations to save their homes. The story is set amidst the changing political scenario during the partition. It’s about the fight of these women for their rights to their space.”

Now, don’t you think Begum Jaan promises not only a fantastic performance but also some great content too?

A prequel to the 2015 Baby, Naam Shabana will see Taapsee Pannu’s character take centre stage.

Despite the presence of other actors like Akshay Kumar and Manoj Bajpayee, Naam Shabana’s main focus will remain on its central character — Shabana Khan, who we briefly saw in Baby.

The makers have already released the first look poster of the film and looking at Taapsee’s fierce and intimidating look on the poster one can certainly say that the film is going to be all about women power.

Last year we saw Sonakshi Sinha in a never-seen-before action avatar in Akira. This year the actress will be seen playing a titular role once again in Sunhil Sippy’s Noor.

Based on Pakistani author Saba Imtiaz’s novel — Karachi, You’re Killing Me!, Noor follows the misadventures and love life of a journalist-writer called Noor.

Talking about the film Sonakshi has said, “The film is based on that book but we have changed it to Mumbai setting... I feel every girl, in fact, some boys will be able to relate to it in some way or the other. It is a likeable and relatable character.”

Looks like Noor will effortlessly pull the audiences to the theatres.

Shraddha Kapoor has joined forces with director Apoorva Lakhia to bring to the screen the life of Haseena Parkar, Dawood Ibrahim’s sister.

While Shraddha will be playing the titular role, her real brother — Siddhant Kapoor will be essaying the role of the fugitive don — Dawood Ibrahim.

The film spans from the 1970s to early 2000 and the audience will witness a transformation in Shraddha’s looks. Now can’t wait to see this one, right?

Kangana Ranaut is a delight to watch onscreen, especially in author-backed roles.

This year the national award winning actress, post Rangoon, will be seen in an emotionally demanding role in Hansal Mehta’s Simran.

According to reports, Kangana will be seen playing a 30-year-old divorcee in the film. Furthermore, it is believed that Simran is the story of a girl, her ambitions and how she gets addicted to the world of crime.

Interesting, isn’t it?

The Mother marks the comeback of the Mohra girl — Raveena Tandon — to the silver screen. Raveena will be seen essaying the titular role in the film, which revolves around the fight for justice for women who are victims of violence and rape.

Speaking about The Mother, Raveena Tandon said “I found the script very gratifying, as it showed how one can deal with criminals indulging in crime against women while remaining on the right side of the law. As a society, we need to change our laws to protect women.”

Tumhari Sulu is another Vidya Balan film to look forward to this year.

The versatile actress will be seen playing a radio jockey named Sulochana in the film. The story revolves around Sulochana aka Sulu, who finds herself in an unexpected job of an RJ. Sulu anchors a late-night show known for its voyeuristic quality and semi-adult shenanigans.