“Alpha” raises a pertinent question: Are men still the focus of Bollywood’s “female-led” films?

“To move forward, sometimes you have to take a step back.”

This is what Anil Kapoor tells Alia Bhatt’s Sita and Sharvari Wagh’s Durga in the pre-interval sequence of Yash Raj Films (YRF) latest spy action thriller Alpha.

Ironically, the line describes the film itself. Every time the story seems to move forward and challenge stereotypes, it is held back by redundant and lazy writing. Anticipation has been high for Alpha ever since it was announced: a high-budget spy thriller starring two women that aims to redefine the femme fatale in Bollywood. However, the release ultimately revealed the industry’s limited understanding of “female-led films” and how to successfully produce one.

Who is the hero: the “women-led” paradox

Although “Alpha” is marketed as “women-led,” Bobby Deol and Anil Kapoor star as well as the two leading ladies. Sure, there are action sequences, days of Solomon and hero shots, but the male characters are the real catalysts. While both women are portrayed as deadly fighters, Anil Kapoor is the mentor who guides their next move, Bobby Deol shapes much of the conflict, and Hrithik Roshan finally arrives to end one of the film’s longest showdowns. Meanwhile, Dia Mirza, introduced as a woman of incredible strength and unbreakable spirit, is written off after a single scene. The responsibility for representation lies entirely with two women, while the rest of the power structure is dominated by men.

Durga (Sharvari) in a scene from Alpha. Photo credit: Yash Raj Films

A female-led film isn’t just about putting women on the poster and having them perform complex stunts. Rather, it’s about writing them in such a way that they are placed at the center of the narrative and give them scope for action in the course of the story. Leadership in this case is not measured by screen time alone. It is determined by who drives the plot and whose life draws the audience deeper into the story.

A female-led film isn’t just about putting women on the poster and having them perform complex stunts. Rather, it’s about writing them in such a way that they are placed at the center of the narrative and give them scope for action in the course of the story.

Alpha isn’t the first film to struggle with this definition, and unfortunately it won’t be the last either. In fact, there is a much bigger problem with the way Bollywood writes about its women. The previous films in the YRF series have repeatedly been criticized for turning women into eye candy and treating them as mere accessories for men.

Even if her character were replaced or removed entirely, the man’s journey would remain largely untouched. This is because men control not only the main story, but also the building of the world around them.

Be it in war or Pathaan, women are glamorous and memorable in moments but rarely have a presence of their own. They are usually characterized by romance, sacrifice or transformation by the male protagonist. However, the men are given complete identities. They deal with moral dilemmas and reforms independently of women. Even if her character were replaced or removed entirely, the man’s journey would remain largely untouched. This is because men control not only the main story, but also the building of the world around them.

Even in Alpha, the supposedly “female-led” film, male characters are of enormous emotional complexity, while female storylines are treated rather lightly. Bobby Deol’s Fateh Singh Lakhawat is arguably given more narrative weight than Sharvari’s Durga. His past is explored in more detail, his motivations receive more attention, and his backstory becomes the biggest driver of the plot.

Fateh Singh Lakhawat (Bobby Deol) in a scene from Alpha. Image Source: Yash Raj Films

This type of writing has a lasting impact. Years after the release of these films, public conversations revolve around Hrithik Roshan, Salman Khan, Tiger Shroff, Shah Rukh Khan and John Abraham. The women are only mentioned for a song, an appearance or a tragic subplot. On the other hand, there is no need for flashy dance routines, sexy outfits, or dramatic storylines for the men, as they are written as characters with nuance and substance.

The selective forgetfulness or memorability is not because Alia Bhatt, Sharvari or other actresses fail to make an impression. This is because her characters are reproduced and reused within the same traditional, overused commercial heroine archetype, reducing them to unremarkable visual spectacles.

The unequal costs of risk-takingG

Over time, these stereotypes influence the way we talk about risk in Bollywood. During one Interview with the Actors RoundtableAnupama Chopra asked her guests if actresses take more risks than actors. Deepika Padukone argued that this was the case, while Vijay Deverakonda disagreed and asked, “How can you say that?”

For male stars, the risk lies largely in the role and the extent to which she deviates from her predetermined public persona. Here lies the fundamental difference. While taking risks is exciting for men, it is often daunting for women.

For male stars, the risk lies largely in the role and the extent to which she deviates from her predetermined public persona. For example, Shahid Kapoor was known as the “Chocolate Boy of Bollywood” and Kabir Singh (2019) completely changed that. He expressed his excitement at the opportunity for change and said he was willing to experiment with different roles. even if that means facing the possibility of failure.’

Here lies the fundamental difference. While taking risks is exciting for men, it is often daunting for women. Vidya Balan was told that a film like The Dirty Picture (2011) would destroy her career because it was against her.Good two shoes‘ Picture. Similar, Sonam Kapoor once revealed it that several male actors rejected Khoobsurat (2014) because they were not happy with such a feminine title. Still, no one seemed to have any qualms about Sultan, Baazigar or King.

When Jigra was released in 2024, Alia Bhatt’s character was compared to Amitabh Bachchan’s “angry young man‘Persona, with one critic noted how “their monotonous fear is no match for the righteous fury of Amitabh Bachchan”. But if every male figure isn’t defined by comparison to a female figure, then why are women almost always judged by male models? Even when a woman challenges industry norms, she is constantly judged in comparison to the men before her, as the discourse surrounding “female-led” films extends beyond the films themselves to encompass the broader cultural context in which they are produced.

For female actors, the question of risk is much more complicated. Will audiences accept a film directed by women? If the performance is inadequate, will another woman be entrusted with a similar project? Will the burden of failure fall entirely on them?

Therefore, the question of risk for female actors is much more complicated. Will audiences accept a film directed by women? If the performance is inadequate, will another woman be entrusted with a similar project? Will the burden of failure fall entirely on them? Male actors can suffer multiple commercial failures and still be cast big projects. Actresses, on the other hand, have to justify their place with every publication.

The problem is that calling it “women-led” defeats its purpose. We applaud women for breaking the glass ceiling and entering spaces that men have long inhabited, but those spaces are never recreated for them. Therefore, rather than creating a unique identity, they mold themselves according to pre-existing patterns of heroism, most of which were formed for and by men, and this is then characterized as “women-led.”

Sita (Alia Bhatt) in a scene from Alpha. Image Source: Yash Raj Films

Films like ‘Piku’, ‘Queen’, ‘English Vinglish’ and ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ prove that Bollywood is capable of creating stories where women’s lives take center stage. Interestingly, none of them claim to be “led by women.” They simply tell honest stories about complex women and their realities.

Bollywood will only truly move forward when the buzzword is no longer treated as a headline or a marketing strategy, but as a fact. When female actresses in blockbusters are not seen as industry experiments and their characters are given the same care as male protagonists. Until then, the phrase will change little for women, but it will continue to show who Bollywood still imagines as its default hero.

Justice Sundaram is a passionate writer who has a habit of questioning almost everything in life, especially from a feminist perspective. Most of her article ideas come from this curiosity. Aside from writing, you can also find her reading fantasy novels or baking chocolate desserts.