Kangana Ranaut’s Queen was a rare gem in the genre of ‘coming-of-age’ films with female protagonists.
Back in 2014, it also served as a career-making role for the actress, fetching her yet another National Award for her sublime and natural performance in the film.
It was also one of those rare films that brought female audiences of all ages to theaters, as everyone was touched by the simplicity of the story and yet the poignant sense of an empowering message it delivered by the end.
From the heartwarming little moments of friendships, laughs and heartbreaks – to the uplifting moments of self-realization and finding your own path, the film resonated with the masses, young and old, and became a big hit at the box office at that time.
In line of the same, we have put together some more such films with female-led stories, and an underlying inspirational yet fun-filled journey of self-discovery, that is going to resonate with you.
If you loved Queen, here are some more films that you must check out, if you haven’t already:
1) English Vinglish
Serving as a ‘comeback’ to Bollywood’s all-time superstar queen Sri Devi, this film was about families taking their matriarchs for granted. Sri Devi delivered an understated performance as a mother seeking the love, respect and attention of her own husband and kids, as they continue to take her place for granted, and not acknowledge her at all. The film captures a beautiful journey of self-discovery Sr’s character takes abroad, that makes her become whole as a person again, and forces her family to start valuing her for who she is.
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2) Simran
Another fun-filled film from Kangana Ranaut, featuring arguably her finest performance. Kangana played the role of a risk-taking Gujrati NRI, who’s struggling to fulfill her dream of owning her own place in a foreign land. But how her desperate persuasion eventually lands her in trouble with the law is put together in this film with sheer entertainment value. Kangana does not slip in her role at once, which is the reason why you both love and hate her character in the film.
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3) Highway
Imitiaz Ali has always curated some fantastic roles for females and Highway was no exception. After he gave Kareena Kapoor a career-defining role in Jab We Met, he attempted to do the same with Alia in Highway. Although the film wasn’t a monumental commercial success, in the line of Jab.., but it still ranks as one of the best performances of Alia. A story about a mischievous girl finding emancipation after getting kidnapped by some brutal no-joke criminals.
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4) Pagglait
Sanya Malhotra played the role of a young widow, who is expected to mourn after the sudden demise of her husband at a young age, but is still trying to cope with the situation around her. As she struggles to grieve, she ventures into a journey of learning more about her deceased husband, than she did before. Yet another light-hearted beautiful slice-of-life film.
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5) Jab We Met
One of those roles where all the loudness of Kareena Kapoor – the actress, fits perfectly well into the realms of the character. Jab We Met came right after Omkara, and the immediate contrast of roles gave Kareena a platform to showcase her versatility. A film about love, life and letting go, and then loving again. A humorous fun-filled affair all the way.
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6) Margarita With A Straw
Although Margarita With A Straw may not necessarily be deemed a ‘family film’ because of the prolonged love-making scenes and references to sex and sexuality, but it perfectly falls in the category of ‘slice of life’. The film beautifully captures love and heartbreak, from the eyes of an aspiring and hopelessly romantic young girl – who’s suffering from cerebral palsy. It was one of those rare times in Indian cinema, when an actor gave such a performance that it was deserving of all national and international awards that year. Whether that happened or not is a different story, altogether. But Kalki will blow your mind and inspire you to live your life out in the sunshine, with a sip from your margarita by the end.
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7) Badhai Ho
Yet another film about middle class Indian familial bonds. The film that gave the talented Neena Gupta’s career a second lease of life. The feature is about a middle aged regular Indian couple, who accidently conceive at an age that does not sit well with their all-grown kids. The story slowly transforms from a funny mishap to understanding the needs and lives of your parents, as it tackles many conservative notions. A beautiful, heartwarming story – featuring one of the last performances of the late Surekha Sikri.
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Which other movies would you put in this category?
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