Prime Video released the latest edition of the O Womaniya! report, a study on female representation in Indian entertainment. Researched and curated by media consulting firm Ormax Media, entertainment platform Film Companion, and championed by Prime Video, the study evaluates women in various facets of content production, marketing and corporate leadership in India’s entertainment industry.
This year, the report analysed 156 films and series, across streaming and theatrical releases in 2022 in eight Indian languages (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Bengali and Gujarati).
Access the complete report here www.owomaniya.org
Key findings of the report include:
Creative Talent
– Only 12 pc of the 780 HOD positions analysed across direction, cinematography, editing, writing, and production design were held by women. While this is slightly more than 10 pc in 2021, the growth has entirely been led by streaming films and series, while theatrical films have remained stagnant since 2021. In all, 31 pc of the properties had a female commissioning in-charge as against 25 pc in 2021.
Content
– In 2021, around 55 pc of the properties analysed passed the Bechdel Test, but now, the number has gone below the half-way mark to 47 pc. The biggest drop came from theatrical films; 46 pc passed the test in 2021, as against only 34 pc in 2022. Series and films like Guilty Minds, Four More Shots Please! Season 3, Delhi Crime Season 2, Maja Ma, Gangubai Kathiawadi emerged as the properties with maximum scenes to pass the Bechdel Test.
Marketing
– Women still get 27 pc talk time in trailers, the report said. The number is the highest for streaming films with 33 pc talk time. Series and movies like Hush Hush, Gehraiyaan, The Fame Game, Ammu, A Thursday, Sita Ramam, among others, performed the best with at least 50 pc of talk time in trailers given to female leads.
Corporate Talent
– Of the 135 Director/ CXO positions studied across 25 top M&E firms in India, only 13 pc were held by women, the report said.
Shailesh Kapoor, Founder & CEO, Ormax Media said, “While there has been a slow but steady improvement in a few key parameters, the report has thrown light on the need to take a look at inclusion with a serious eye. Like the previous edition of the report, streaming continues to pave the way for female representation, however, the sub-par performance of theatrical films should serve as a wake-up call for the industry. I am glad to see the industry take note of the data and come together to pledge better representation, underscoring their genuine desire to see a positive change.”
Anupama Chopra, Founder & Editor, Film Companion said, “Entertainment is a powerful medium which can and must highlight inclusivity and diversity. O Womaniya! is our attempt to push the needle to move faster. We are thrilled to see greater participation from the industry, with key individuals taking on specific targets and actions to take this conversation forward. The steps taken to bring change may seem small but each step, each action matters, and with every edition of the O Womaniya! report, we believe we are moving a step closer to a more equitable ecosystem. I am grateful to Prime Video and Ormax Media for partnering with us on this unique initiative.”
“At Prime Video, we believe that diversity, equity and inclusion, is not just needed, it is essential. As an organisation, we have always believed in equitable representation, not just within Prime Video and in our content, but also within the wider creative industry. By nurturing and empowering talented women within our industry, we can create a ripple effect of positive change in the wider ecosystem,” said Aparna Purohit, head of Originals, India & Southeast Asia, Prime Video.
“O Womaniya! represents a collective effort to unite the industry and collaborate on enhancing female representation. The latest edition of the report strongly underscores the urgency of accelerating these transformative efforts. It’s heartening to witness not only the committed support of partners but also the active participation of influential figures from the industry, including both men and women. They have not only pledged their personal commitment but also made broader corporate level commitments to champion greater female inclusivity,” she added.
Across the industry, people pledged to promote diversity and inclusion. These include actor and producer Alia Bhatt, filmmaker Shakun Batra, and Gayatri and Pushkar, Dharma Productions CEO Apoorva Mehta, Emmay Entertainment partner Madhu Bhojwani, writer, director and author Tahira Kashyap Khurrana and Annapurna Studios producer & executive director Supriya Yarlagadda.
View the pledges https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1l9S6ENy3KWnZcxfRuyuBmmaEEiG1zbPQ
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