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Abstract
Men in most societies were seen as breadwinners while role of women was restricted to being a good homemaker and a good mother. This applies to women in a highly patriarchal society of India. As societies entered the world of modernization, the role of women changed dramatically. Media played an important role in the modernization of societies and greatly affected the image of women in today’s modern world. Stating that the representation of women in the mainstream Indian cinema has been "stereotypical and coquettish" for far too long, eminent filmmakers and actors have said it is important to question, challenge and break rules against such stereotypes in films as well as in the society. Famous Bollywood filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, however, claimed that the condition of women in Indian film is changing. But he stressed the importance for men to come forward to put an end to suppression of women in the society. A number of researches have been done on the role of women in different societies in bollywood. However little has been said about the importance of films in portraying women in shifting roles over different decades and the impact it has on societies in general. Over past decades, Indian cinema has witnessed a significant transformation in the way women are portrayed through films. Contemporary films portray women as more independent, confident, and career oriented. The present study aims at this fast changing role of women portrayed in Indian cinema and its influence on the patriarchal Indian society with a focus on some representative Bollywood films. The aim is to link the changing character played by women in films with the emerging status of women in India, as films are a reflection of changes in the social structure.