This comes from a question from adh on Monday Morning Questions about how 2000s films seem way less progressive (especially with female characters) than older films.
I’m gonna give my votes and reasons first! Oh, and my “decades” here are mushy, pop culture trends don’t follow a tidy date pattern. So I mean in a GENERAL SENSE the tone of the era, even if the era lasted longer or shorter than the actual decade time period.
Late 40s-50s: Second least progressive! Yes, it was all very socialist and stuff, but in a way that pandered to familiar social norms. The woman sacrificed all to follow the man, lots of Hindu mythological references, etc. etc. Andaaz, for example.
1960s: Most progressive! Yes, it’s mostly light weight rom-coms and thrillers, but those rom-coms and thrillers almost 100% had independent young people building their own lives outside of the family structure, an embrace of internationalism and openness, and a very cheerful casual attitude towards sex and gender dynamics. An Evening in Paris, my favorite example.
1970s: Second most progressive! It was a little more “working man” focused, less time spent showing powerful independent women and a globalized world and cultures outside of India. But it was extremely anti-class, anti-family, anti-communalism, anti all those old values. Zanjeer, for example.
1980s: Third most progressive! The end of the decade got a bit sappy and traditional, but most of it was a mixture of the sort of free and independent love stories of the 60s with the anti-establishment action films of the 70s. Chandni!
1990s: Third LEAST progressive. The whole romance boom of the 90s started out as a way to bring back agency and independence to the heroines who had been overlooked in the action films of the 80s. There were some great female-lead films like Deewana, Dushman, almost anything Madhuri or Sridevi. But then by the mid-decade all the romances had slipped into the same pattern of affirming traditional family roles, social roles, everything. Hum Saath Saath Hain.
2000s: Fourth MOST progressive!!! Maybe in response to all that tradition in the 90s, the romances continued but with a bit of a sting. You start to get clever films that question tropes and call them out at the same time they ultimately affirm them. Like Band Baaja Baarat, which still ends with one love-true love-pure love as the message but takes some interesting detours along the way.
2010s: LEAST progressive. Every message always has to be tied up with a neat bow of Family Values, meaning middle class uppercaste Hindu patriarchal values. No matter what the supposed “progressive” message of the film is, from IVF to same sex relationships, it can only be allowed within the family structure. Shubh Mangal Zyaada Saavdhan
So my list would be, from least to most progressive:
2010s
1940s-50s
1990s
2000s
1980s
1970s
1960s
Okay, what are your picks? And recommendations??? And anti-recommendations for the LEAST progressive options???
