Films and society have a circular relationship. Our films reflect socio-cultural beliefs and practices, and what our films portray can in turn be normalized and embraced by society. In a society and culture where patriarchy is deeply rooted and misogyny is pervasive, it’s no surprise that there are few feminist films with progressive gender representations. However, these eight Indian films released in 2025 stand out for their nuanced critiques of patriarchy and their feminist depictions of gender.
From black comedies to cultural phenomenons to out-and-out feminist superhero films, 2025 was a banner year for feminist films. While these eight films aren’t the only ones that deserve recognition for their feminist reviews and themes, these are some of the best feminist watches of the year that undoubtedly deserve a spot on your watchlist.
1. Feminichi Fathima (Malayalam)
This is incredible Malayalam film tells the story of Fathima, a Feminichi, a Malayalam term used to mock feminists. The quiet but crushing weight of patriarchy in Fathima’s life is clearly evident in the opening scene. What’s notable, however, is how the film tells the story of the oppression and empowerment of women: through the simple task (though not in the case of our Feminichi protagonist) of buying a new mattress.
Although the film’s premise seems novel, in many ways it is not – it is a reflection of reality. Patriarchy creeps into women’s lives every day in insidious and completely banal ways. Even a simple errand is often not free from patriarchal negotiations, and Feminichi Fathima reminds viewers of this. The film isn’t groundbreaking, but it does show a woman reclaiming her agency in the smallest of ways through homegrown rebellion. In a country where many women are still forced to relinquish their autonomy and hand over their decision-making power to their husbands, this is indeed revolutionary.
2. Homebound (Hindi)
Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound was praised for its brilliant, nuanced exploration of caste, religious identity and marginalization. However, the film also touches on topics such as gender and intersectionality, albeit briefly. Homebound recognizes the unique forms of discrimination Dalit women face due to the intersection of their caste and gender identities.
Although the film doesn’t explore this idea in detail, its awareness of it is clearly evident throughout. It makes the silent, invisible work of women visible. And while women may not take up much screen time, the portrayal of gender, gender roles, and the gender expectations placed on women are brilliantly portrayed and carefully handled on screen.
3. Dhadak 2 (Hindi)
Dhadak 2 is another film that focuses on caste; However, the representation of gender is also noteworthy. Tripti Dimri’s Vidhi is an outspoken and headstrong woman who rebels in big and small ways against the patriarchal shackles of familial authority that she is subjected to. Their silent struggle for autonomy and choice is clear from the start.
Vidhi’s story takes place in many families where privileged upper-caste and upper-class families “allow” their daughters to make progressive concessions, but only as long as they bow to the patriarchal will. Where autonomy is often an illusion and the desire for control is cleverly repackaged as concern.
Other women in the film, like Neelesh’s mother and his professor Richa, are also strong, fierce women who have enviable clarity of thought and moral courage. The film is by no means perfect and a lot of legitimate criticism has been leveled against it since its release. However, the film’s approach to gender is clearly right.
4. Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra (Malayalam)
Lokah is considered to be the first Malayalam film about a female superhero. The genre-subversive, feminist film is a profound and complex examination of patriarchy, misogyny and marginalization. Drawing on vampire and yakshi folklore to tell the story of a feminist vampire yakshi superheroine, Lokah is not only a delightful film but also a liberating one. There are no male saviors, trauma porn, or commodification of women; What is quietly and sometimes loudly present throughout the film is a woman’s anger.
Kalyani Priyadarshan’s performance as the tired, callous Neeli is a delight, and Sandy’s impeccable performance as the film’s main antagonist is a sight to behold. The film deftly tackles the theme of misogyny and marginalization, exposing the villainy of both. Our superhero Neeli doesn’t fight against monsters or crazy people; She fights against ordinary men, therein lies the genius and message of the film.
5.Victoria (Malayalam)
The premise of this Malayalam film is something you have never seen before. Sivaranjini J’s directorial debut revolves around a single day in a woman’s drawing room, featuring only a rooster as a male presence, and is an essential watch. In a conversation with the Scroll.inSivaranjini explained the premise of her brilliant film in one sentence: “A rooster in a salon exclusively for women.”
The film takes place in a women’s salon and tells the story of the protagonist of the same name. However, in this space without men, women no longer develop femininity, which is a breath of fresh air. Where films often succumb to the male gaze, Victoria not only refuses to address it but rejects it entirely, exploring women, femininity and sisterhood without any performance, pretense or patriarchal pressure.
6. Kadhal Enbadu Podhu Udamai (Tamil)
This Tamil film is about a woman who comes out to her family and introduces them to her partner. Even though the film has been criticized for being rather simple and sober, it is still an essential work of art that aims to initiate a dialogue.
Kadhal Enbadu Podhu Udamai takes a sharp look at the limits of liberal progress, particularly when it comes to sexuality and queerness, bringing to our screens a film that is not radical but still reflects the reality of life for many queer people in the country.
7. Avihitham (Malayalam)
Avihitham is a delicious black comedy that addresses something that’s been talked about in Reddit threads and on the misogynistic side of After a night of drunken revelry, a drunk man stumbling home sees a couple kissing in the shadows. He is convinced that the woman is the wife of one of the men from the village who is away on business.
The news spreads like wildfire, and all the men who hear it accept the word of a dangerously drunk and notoriously unreliable man as gospel truth. Soon the injured husband and his brother are informed, who accept the accusation without much resistance.
A group of local men, including the woman’s husband and his brother, band together to catch the erring woman in the act, driven by their lust for this salacious local scandal and their medieval fantasies of humiliating a delinquent woman, rather than by any desire to help a man who is supposedly being cheated on. They all follow the woman, doubting her every move and taking the opportunity to blatantly indulge in her misogyny. However, when the truth is revealed, the men are forced to confront the misogyny they had repackaged as a self-righteous quest to right wrongs.
8. Aapish (Bengali)
This Bengali film expertly explores patriarchy and class through the lives of upper-middle class Joyeeta and Hashi, who is the nanny of Joyeeta’s child. Both lives are determined by patriarchal conditions; However, their class differences have a significant impact on how the effects of patriarchy manifest themselves.
Aapish takes a blunt look at the devaluation of women’s work, both at home and outside, and shows how the burden of care always falls squarely on women’s shoulders, even as they are crushed under its weight.
While these films may not have gotten everything right, they stand out in a landscape dominated by silenced and sidelined women, women’s experiences and pain serving as a plot device for the hero’s great act of salvation, and characters with little substance serving only as screen embellishments to pander to the male gaze.
While many of these films received little mainstream attention, their carefully crafted portrayals of women and their raw explorations of patriarchy, misogyny and intersectionality are urgently needed at a time when mainstream films continue to reinforce patriarchal ideas and normalize violent misogyny. Even if these films didn’t spark a massive cultural clash, they still resonate with women whose lived realities are often little different from what’s portrayed on screen, and that’s enough for now.
This is by no means an exhaustive or representative list. Suggestions to add to this list are welcome in the comments section.
Akshita Prasad is an author whose work primarily focuses on feminism. social and institutional justice, Law and politics, politics and pop culture.
