Streaming platform Prime Video released the latest edition of O Womaniya! report, a study on female representation in Indian entertainment. Researched and curated by media consulting firm Ormax Media, Indian entertainment journalism platform Film Companion, and championed by Prime Video, the study evaluates the statistical journey of women in various facets of content production, marketing and corporate leadership within 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, to arrive at a comprehensive picture of the change that the industry has seen since 2021.
The report has been supported by other partners from the industry including Clean Slate Filmz, Emmay Entertainment, Excel Entertainment, Jio Studio, Producers Guild India, RSVP, SonyLiv, Tiger Baby, and Zee5. Additionally, this year saw industry leaders, including studio heads, filmmakers, actors and more come forward to lay down actionable steps towards improving female representation in their personal and professional capacities. These pledges are expected to serve as guardrails that can guide the entire industry.
“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,” said Ormax Media founder & CEO Shailesh Kapoor. “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.”
“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,” said Film Companion founder & editor Anupama Chopra.
She further mentioned, “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 Prime Video India & Southeast Asia Originals heads Aparna Purohit.
According to Purohit, 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.”
Key findings of the report include:
Creative Talent – Only 12 per cent of the 780 HOD positions analysed across key departments of direction, cinematography, editing, writing, and production design were held by women. While this is slightly more than 10 per cent in 2021, the growth has entirely been led by streaming films and series, while theatrical films have remained stagnant since 2021.
On a positive note, 31 per cent of the properties had a female commissioning in-charge behind them, vis-à-vis 25 per cent in 2021.
Content – While in 2021, 55 per cent of the properties analysed passed the Bechdel Test1, the number has gone below the half-way mark to 47 per cent now. The biggest drop here has come from theatrical films; while 46 per cent passed the test in 2021, only 34 per cent managed to pass it in 2022.
Series and films like Guilty Minds, Four More Shots Please! Season 3, Delhi Crime Season 2, Maja Ma, Gangubai Kathiawadi, among others, emerged as the properties with maximum scenes to pass the Bechdel Test.
Marketing – Women still get only 27 per cent talk time in trailers; the number is the highest for streaming films with 33 per cent talk time in trailers being allocated to women. Series and movies like Hush Hush, Gehraiyaan, The Fame Game, Ammu, A Thursday, Sita Ramam, among others, performed the best with at least 50 per cent of talk time in trailers given to female leads.
Corporate Talent – The O Womaniya! report found out that of the 135 director/ CXO positions studied across 25 top M&E firms in India, only 13 per cent were held by women.
Pledges taken by leading names in Indian entertainment industry include:
- “I pledge to continue to promote diversity in my production projects,” said actor and producer Alia Bhatt.
- “I pledge to promote diversity in my projects, to continue collaborating with and supporting intimacy professionals to ensure sets are a safe space for all,” said filmmaker Shakun Batra.
- “We pledge to continue to promote diversity in our projects, to continue to include women in writer’s rooms, and to continue to follow the government mandated PoSH guidelines and have an ICC within the organisation,” said filmmakers Gayatri & Pushkar.
- “I pledge to continue to promote diversity across all our verticals at Dharma Productions & Dharmatic Entertainment,” said Dharma Productions CEO Apoorva Mehta.
- “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,” said Emmay Entertainment partner Madhu Bhojwani.
- “I pledge to tell women’s stories with a narrative which is unique to them,” said writer, director & author Tahira Kashyap Khurrana.
- “We at Annapurna, are the first studio and production house to establish an ICC in the Telugu film industry. We shall continue with our endeavour to promote diversity in our productions and include women in writer’s rooms. Our environment is constantly evolving to support more women in the workplace,” said Annapurna Studios producer & executive director Supriya Yarlagadda.