Only twelve percent of heads of department on Indian films and TV are women

We may be seeing more female-helmed films and shows but what do these incremental changes really add up to? According to a new report by Ormax Media and Film Companion, not enough. Only 12% of the 780 head of department (HOD) positions analysed across key departments of direction, cinematography, editing, writing, and production design were held by women, only slightly up from 10% in 2021.

They analysed 156 properties across various languages, including Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam, to understand the state of representation of women both on- and off-screen. In order to do this, they looked not only at the content itself, but also who runs the show behind the scenes, how the content is marketed and corporate policies that underscore representation.

Women hire more women, they found. In cases where women were commissioning the piece of media, 22% of heads of department were women, as opposed to only seven percent when a man is commissioning. Cinematography is the most male dominated position, with only 5% of HODs being women. The growth on this front has entirely been led by streaming films and series, while theatrical films have remained stagnant since 2021.

Shailesh Kapoor, Founder and CEO of Ormax Media, says, “The improvement since 2023 has been only notional, with most parameters being either at the same level as last year, or going up marginally, by 2-5 percentage points. This tells us that the change is going to be slow, and the industry and its various stakeholders need to stay committed to it for at least another few years.”

They also used the Bechdel Test to understand the quality of the representation. The popular test developed by Alison Bechdel analyses media across three axes -- in order to pass the test, a film must have at least one scene where two named women are talking to each other about something other than a man. For streaming shows, the criteria was adapted to three scenes. The number of properties that passed the test has actually reduced in the last year – 47%, as compared to last year’s 55%. 12% fewer theatrical films and 6 % fewer streaming films passed the Bechdel test in 2022 vs. 2021.

Trailers are another frontier that the report identified. Women still get only 27% talk time in trailers; the number is the highest for streaming films with 33% talk time in trailers being allocated to women. Behind the scenes, too, they looked into 135 Director/ CXO positions across the top 25 Media and Entertainment companies and found that only 13% of these positions were held by women.

Sunitha Rangaswami, Independent Consultant, Gender and Women’s Economic Empowerment, says, “An important take away from the report for Media and Entertainment is the need to step up the pace on gender equality or risk being left behind, as a new generation of women and men strive to bridge the gap in pursuit of a better life.”

The report aims to not only point out inequity, but to lead to long-term, concrete changes. Aparna Purohit, Head of Originals, India & Southeast Asia, Prime Video, another partner in the report, says, “In the Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry, enhancing female representation has traditionally encountered substantial obstacles such as gender bias, limited access to opportunities, and narratives that further deepen the stereotypes. To tackle these issues effectively, we must advocate for diverse hiring practices, mentorship programs, inclusive storytelling, and the establishment of safe, supportive work environments. All these changes should be pursued deliberately, intentionally and simultaneously. It is essential to hire and build an agile and diverse team that does not just feel empowered but shares a sense of belonging, common purpose, and a collective identity.”

This is why key players in the industry have been roped in to make pledges. While Alia Bhatt pledged continued promotion of diversity in her production projects, filmmaker Shakun Batra pledged to collaborate with intimacy professionals on his projects. Madhu Bhojwani, partner, Emmay Entertainment, says, “I pledge to provide separate bathrooms with accessible sanitary products for women on set, to promote diversity in my projects, to include women in writer’s rooms, and to follow the government mandated PoSH guidelines and have an ICC within the organisation.”