International Women's Day 2020: 'Hirkani' to 'Anandi Gopal'; Marathi movies that celebrate women

March 8 is celebrated as International Women's Day is celebrated across the globe every year. It's a day to appreciate women in your lives and also celebrate their achievements. Some filmmakers went ahead to break the shackles and give us masterpieces that speak volumes on the rising force of feminism. And as the world is celebrating the joy of womanhood, we list these women-centric Marathi films that celebrate the joy of womanhood.

Hirkani is a 2019 Marathi language historical period film that is directed by Prasad Oak. The film is produced by Falguni Patel. It features Sonalee Kulkarni in the lead role of Hirkani, who is a brave mother. It is set in the historical period of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Hirkani also marks the directorial debut of Prasad Oak. The music of the film is composed by Amitraj. It released on October 24, 2019.

Sameer Vidwans's 'Anandi Gopal', is a biopic based on the life of Anandi Gopal Joshi, who is known as the first Indian woman doctor. It features stars like Bhagyashree Milind, Lalit Prabhakar Geetanjali Kulkarni, and Yogesh Soman in pivotal roles. In the film, the actress will be seen playing the role of India's first female doctor, Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi. The first woman to live abroad in the eighteenth year of her life, the first woman to complete medical education, suffering from depression. Bhagyashree is playing the titular role in the film and has given a brilliant performance on the big screen.

Ravi Jadhav's Marathi film 'Nude' was the story of a woman played by Kalyanee Mulay. But actress Chhaya Kadam also managed to make a solid impact in the film through her character Chandra Akka. Her character encourages Mulay to take up the profession of a nude artist at JJ School of Arts. It is an interesting story as to how Kadam got the role in the film. Inspired by a real-life Nude artist, this movie tries to stay real and true to its original intent and that is what makes it a wonderful watch.

Director Samir Patil’s movie ‘Poshter Girl’ takes a satirical look at the serious issue of female foeticide. This creation is the first of its kind in the Marathi industry which swiftly passes a nice social message in a hilarious way. The film floats in ‘Pargav Tekawde’ a small village. ‘Poshter Girl’, Sonalee Kulkarni as Rupali sheds light over a serious issue of female feticide in a very light-hearted manner. The story majorly revolves around how the girl teaches the next generation about respecting women, changing the attitude of the village in the process of choosing a groom for her. The portrayal of a girl who is capable, intelligent and witty made this character strong and relatable. Sonalee’s excellent characterization and comic timing added immense value to the film and made it fun to watch.

'Vazandar', directed by Sachin Kundalkar, starred Sai Tamhankar and Priya Bapat in the lead roles. It was released on 11 November 2016. 'Vazandar' was an endearing journey of two young and beautiful girls Kaveri (Sai) and Pooja (Priya) who are on a mission to lose weight and get down to the much-hyped size zero. What follows in their quest is a series of funny, eye-opening incidents that change their lives forever. The movie also asks some tough questions on fat-shaming and makes us think about it. It is these inspiring female characters that both the actresses created make the movie a hit.