The portrayal of female protagonists in the Hindi GEC category has undergone a remarkable transformation over time. Previously depicted as traditional housewives or obedient daughters-in-law embroiled in domestic politics and romantic subplots, recent narratives focus more on themes of women’s education and career aspirations. An 8-year trend analysis (2016- 2023) of Ormax’s tracking tool for Hindi GEC characters
Ormax Characters India Loves (OCIL) shows a remarkable transition in the occupational profile of the leading ladies across the category’s fiction shows. This marks a significant departure from the stereotypical portrayals of the past, reflecting a shift towards more progressive and empowering storytelling.
According to the analysis, the popularity shares of female protagonists who are working has gone up from less than 20% till 2020, to a staggering 80% in 2022 & 2023. The shift, led by Anupama and supported by several other characters, is swift and decisive, indicating a change in audience preference towards watching working women who resonate with their own aspirations and struggles.
The analysis further dissected the evolution at the various phases of evolution of lead female characters in Hindi GEC fiction.
The first phase which is the 2000s (till the mid-2010s) witnessed iconic characters such as Tulsi (Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi), Parvati (Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii), Akshara (Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai), and Gopi (Saath Nibhaana Saathiya) ruling the ratings chart.
These characters epitomized the role of the traditional Indian housewife, with her sole ambition being to become the perfect homemaker. Their stories revolved around the intricacies of domestic life, involving familial conflicts and motherhood challenges. Their husbands were invariably family scions, who had a business to run outside the home, and hence, were relegated to supporting roles in the post-marriage domestic phase of the female lead. These portrayals of female and male leads, while reflective of prevalent cultural norms, also contributed to reinforcing traditional gender roles and stereotypes.
In the second phase, the period between 2010-2019, there was a notable shift in the types of characters who began to gain traction among audiences.
Many of these popular leads in this period were from shows that challenged traditional gender roles, and depicted women with aspirations, beyond the confines of the home. Characters like Anandi (Balika Vadhu), Sandhya (Diya Aur Baati Hum), and Priya Ram Kapoor (Bade Achhe Lagte Hain) were some of the trailblazers from this phase. These characters, while immensely popular, were still in minority in the last decade, with many other popular female characters still portraying traditional roles, typically housewives. But that has changed in the 2020s.
The third phase of working women- over the last 2-3 years that there has been a decisive shift in the occupational profile of almost all Hindi GEC female protagonists, as can be seen in the chart above. Most successful characters launched 2020 onwards have been shown as wanting to pursue higher education (classified as non-working), or are already working. The whole-hearted acceptance of these characters in heartening to say the least. Not only are these characters being depicted as working professionals, the narratives of their shows are putting an increased emphasis on education and career choices. Of course, there’s Anupama, the biggest of them all, who has headlined this significant shift, despite several challenges related to education and family circumstances.
The 23% share in 2023 for non-working characters is actually dominated by new age characters like law aspirant Abhira (Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai) or IAS aspirant Savi (Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin), in closing stages of their education in that year. They stand as testaments to this on-going progressive shift, embodying the aspirations and dreams of modern Indian women. It will be no surprise if we see the 90% mark being achieved in 2024.
The stories of these character reflect the challenges of navigating the professional world, along with juggling familial responsibilities, and this change is striking a chord with audiences.
Audiences are no longer content with characters who do not reflect the reality today – they seek representation that resonates with their own aspirations and struggles.
While the family unit continues to remain at the core of Indian culture, the inclusion of working women in the Hindi GEC narratives signals a broader acceptance of women’s roles beyond home. It celebrates the spirit of womanhood, in turn echoing the sentiment of the nation.
