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The conversation around films every Friday almost always begins with the box office. Who opened bigger? Who underperformed? Which star has delivered a hit? However, this weekend deserves to be remembered for something far more significant than opening-day collections. Across four different film industries, audiences are witnessing something Indian cinema has rarely delivered before, women leading action films. Alia Bhatt and Sharvari’s Alpha, Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s Maa Inti Bangaaram, Aishwarya Lekshmi’s Gatta Kusthi 2, and Huma Qureshi’s Baby Do Die Do have all brought women to the forefront, and how!
While Maa Inti Bangaaram, starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu as an ex-assassin, released in theatres on June 19, the other three films arrived simultaneously on July 3. For years, the action genre has been almost exclusively associated with male actors, with female characters often reduced to damsels in distress. Therefore, it is refreshing to watch women take charge of the action and even more encouraging to see this change happening across multiple industries at the same time.
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Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s Maa Inti Bangaaram sees her pull off stylish action sequences while draped in a saree. She plays an orphan who marries the love of her life. However, just as she tries to settle into her traditional household, her past life as an assassin catches up with her, forcing her to once again rely on her combat skills. More importantly, the film’s box office performance proves that audiences are ready to embrace female-led action films. It has already grossed over 90 crore worldwide and has become the highest-grossing female-led Telugu film.
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Then came July 3, when all eyes turned to the much-anticipated Alpha, starring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari. Notably, it marked YRF’s first female-led spy film. The Spy Universe, which began in 2012, took over a decade to place female spies at the centre of the narrative. Whether you liked the film or not is beside the point. Seeing women lead the action in one of Bollywood’s biggest commercial franchises is, in itself, a welcome shift. It sends a clear message that women can headline a large-scale spy thriller without relying on a male superstar to carry the narrative.
Meanwhile, Huma Qureshi’s Baby Do Die Do, which clashed with Alpha at the box office, surprised many with its content-driven storytelling. Initially, the film was not even considered competition for Alpha because of its relatively low buzz. However, strong critical reviews quickly changed the conversation. Despite a modest opening day, the film is gradually finding its audience through positive word of mouth, proving once again that compelling content eventually finds its viewers.
Then there is Gatta Kusthi 2. While the franchise has always explored gender roles, the sequel once again places Aishwarya Lekshmi in a physically demanding role, reinforcing the idea that women can be athletes, fighters, and commercial entertainers without compromising their femininity. Moreover, the film successfully blends action, humour, and emotion, making it a wholesome family entertainer. As a result, it has been attracting strong footfalls, particularly across South India.
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Interestingly, none of these films attempts to make an overt political statement about women in action. Instead, they simply present women as capable protagonists. Perhaps that subtle shift is the biggest victory of all
Ultimately, the real achievement lies in the fact that four mainstream films from four different industries reached theatres within weeks of each other with women throwing punches, carrying weapons, leading missions, and driving the narrative. A few years ago, such a lineup would have been almost unimaginable.
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