This dissertation focuses on a content analysis through which representation of
women in Bollywood cinema is examined. Bollywood has been a major point of
reference for Indian culture in the last century and will undoubtedly persist for
years to come. To an extent, Bollywood has shaped the way in which people
read Indian culture as well as reflecting India's events, traditions, values and
customs by the mere fact that it is a pervasive and inescapable force in Indian
society. Women have been and to an extent still are represented as mere
wallpaper in Bollywood films. Issues around gender, gender-based violence,
femininity, women's rights and sexuality (outside of being a sexpot) are often
ignored and in most cases, subverted. Feminist discourse in the west has taken
this up in relation to Hollywood (cf. Mulvey, 1975; Kuhn, 1984; Kaplan, 2000)
however, discussions of gender in eastern cinema has yet to be fully developed.
Even though there is a body of work in this field (cf. Butalia, 1984; Datta, 2000)
there is room for far more in-depth investigation. This study explores the ways in
which women are represented and misrepresented in Bollywood cinema by
looking at the main features which make Bollywood what it is: the stock
characters, song and dance routines and elaborate dress. Each of these
elements is discussed by using one or two films to illustrate the formula that is
used in Bollywood cinema to undermine women.