Bollywood movies are often been criticised because they mainly portray women as damsels in distress or objects of male desire. However, many Bollywood characters have broken this stereotype and in the process of some stunning filmmaking, taught women how to love themselves.
Here are a few of the most iconic Bollywood characters who taught women how to love themselves:
1. Geet From Jab We Met
“Mai Apni Favourite Hoon”
Geet Dhillon, Jab We Met
A bubbly and carefree girl, Geet is full of life. She doesn’t care what other people think of her and she lives life on her own terms. From Geet, we learn that it’s important to be true to ourselves and to love ourselves for who we are. We don’t need to change ourselves for any Anshuman, because an Aditya will come along and love us for who we really are!
2. Rani From Queen
“Mera sense of humour na bhot acha hai, aapko dheere dheere pata chalega.”
Rani Mehra, Queen
Who would’ve thought that the shy and timid girl Rani, who was engaged to be married, would decide to go on her honeymoon alone after her fiancé called off the wedding?
On her solo and epic journey across Europe, she learns to be independent and to love herself. She teaches us that we don’t need a man to be complete; women are pretty self-sufficient.
3. Laila From Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
“Mujhe Afsos Karna Nahi Aata”
Laila, ZNMD
Laila is a strong and independent woman who is not afraid to speak her mind. She is also very passionate about her work and teaches us that it’s important to follow our dreams and to be passionate about what we do. She wasn’t afraid to take a risk, and went after what she wanted – Arjun!
4. Aisha From Wake Up Sid
“Tumhe nahi pata kitna darr lagta hai but you know what, sab theek ho jaega. Bombay aana mera sapna tha. Aur ab yahan hoon toh darr nahi sakti.”
Aisha Banerjee, Wake Up Sid
Aisha was a successful writer who moved to Mumbai from Kolkata to pursue her career. Intelligent, witty, with a great sense of style, she was also very confident in herself and her abilities. Moving to a new city all alone required a great deal of courage, and in doing so, Aisha taught us the importance of being confident in ourselves and our abilities. She also showed women that it is possible to be successful and fulfilled without a man, and it is okay to be different and you should embrace your individuality.
5. Piku From Piku
“Agar kisi ko mujhse shaadi karni hai toh mere 90 saal ke bacche ko adopt karna padega”
Piku Banerji, Piku
Piku, the quirky and independent woman, was not afraid to challenge the status quo and taught us to love ourselves unconditionally. She wasn’t afraid to be herself, even if that meant being different from everyone else. She taught us that it’s important to be ourselves and to live life to the fullest, and she wasn’t afraid to challenge her loved ones when they were wrong.
6. Amrita from Thappad
“Usne mujhe maara; pehli baar. Nahi maar sakta. Bas itni si baat hai aur meri petition bhi itni si hai”
Amrita Sandhu, Thappad
Amrita was a housewife whose husband slapped her in front of everyone during a party. But, unlike most women in her situation, she refused to put up with his abuse and she filed for divorce. She taught us so many things, from basic things like never tolerating abuse, to the small things like the difference between taking revenge and getting what you are owed. She set boundaries, did not take disrespect, and was forgiving when the situation required it.
7. Dr Jehangir Khan from Dear Zindagi
“Jab hum apne aap ko achhi tarah samajh lete hai, to dusre kya samajhte hai, it doesn’t matter. Not at all!”
Dr. Jehangir “Jug” Khan, Dear Zindagi
Dr Jehangir Khan was the therapist who helped Kaira, the protagonist, to deal with her anxiety and depression. He taught us the importance of being kind to ourselves and to accept ourselves for who we are. In his role as a therapist, he taught everybody that we are all worthy of love and happiness, regardless of our flaws.
READ: 6 BOLLYWOOD MOVIES THAT DEPICTED MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES BEAUTIFULLY
These are just a few of the many Bollywood characters that taught women how to love themselves. These characters are inspiring because they show us that it’s possible to be strong, independent, and confident women while stressing on the importance of being true to ourselves and loving ourselves for who we are.
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