Bollywood in 2025 Dominated by Male-Led Violent Action Thrillers, Women's Representation Declines
The Bollywood film scene in 2025 was largely dominated by violent, hypermasculine action thrillers, with the film Dhurandhar standing out as the defining hit of the year.
While 2024 had seen several women-led films gaining global attention, the 2025 landscape did not sustain this shift, remaining predominantly male-centric.
Among the top 10 box-office hits of 2025, five were Bollywood films, with Lokah being the only women-led film featured in this list.
Dhanush's Tere Ishk Mein emerged as his highest-grossing Hindi release, earning over 1,550 million rupees worldwide.
Streaming trends reflected theatrical preferences, with action and crime thrillers—mostly male-led—accounting for 43% of the 338 Hindi shows released, while female-led titles declined to 12% in 2025.
Industry experts attribute this trend to audience demand and persistent structural inequalities. Commentators such as Mayank Shekhar, Priyanka Basu, Anu Singh Choudhary, and trade analyst Taran Adarsh have noted the ongoing male dominance in the industry.
However, there are signs of a quieter movement within regional and independent cinema that offers alternative and more nuanced stories. Examples include films like Sabar Bonda, Songs of Forgotten Trees, The Girlfriend, Bad Girl, Feminichi Fathima, and The Great Shamsuddin Family, which suggest an emerging diversity beyond mainstream Bollywood.
