Pathaan hangover cure: 12 movies that reward the female gaze
Get your fix
“Women,” mutters Pathaan with a smirk, after watching ISI agent Rubina single-handedly take down a troupe of gun-toting henchmen. Played by Deepika Padukone, Rubina is an imposing figure — taller than Pathaan, and in this scene, bailing them both out of a sticky situation. It’s not the only time Rubina saves the day and the male lead with her strength and shrewdness.
Where most action heroes cling to their macho credentials, former RAW agent Pathaan never feels the need to be the biggest, most threatening guy on the screen. His friends and foes alike sport bulging biceps, roundhousing their way through countless action sequences. Of course, Pathaan himself is ripped to shreds, and is no slouch when it comes to dispatching baddies with a lot of slow-motion dishoom-dishoom (want more Bollywood cult classics?)
But it’s not his physical strength that makes these sequences thrilling as much as the character’s strength of heart. We meet Pathaan (spoiler alert) bound and bloodied, beaten to a pulp, yet still spitting dialogues designed to provoke another punch from his captors. I wish I could quote him here, only I didn’t get a chance to hear; as soon as Shah Rukh Khan’s face was revealed onscreen the audience erupted into hoots and cheers, led by a crowd of rowdy women.
When it comes to unruly behaviour in cinema halls, women aren’t the usual suspects. Yet the female fandom Khan enjoys is up there with K-pop stars and Princess Diana — spanning continents, generations, and social niceties with ease. And if you thought that the King of Hearts would make his return to action without writing a love letter to women in the process, you’d be wrong.
Pathaan doesn’t waste its female stars — Dimple Kapadia slips into the role of Pathaan’s erstwhile RAW commanding officer Nandini Grewal, a mentor with a spine of steel who leaves no agent behind. Padukone as the beautiful Bond-esque spy looks fantastic and has plenty to do throughout the film, both in terms of action and storyline. She’s not the only eye candy, either. Pathaan lovingly lingers over shots of the villain Jim — an impossibly buff John Abraham, who at one point emerges from a swimming pool clad only in tiny white trunks.
For all its high-octane set pieces, Pathaan nevertheless incorporates the female gaze. While the traditional male gaze approaches women characters as objects, the female gaze makes them subjects with agency. Rubina’s sexuality isn’t senselessly in service to a plot where the hero has to romance the heroine; it’s a weapon she wields herself, guided by her own shadowy motivations. In short, the female gaze treats both women and men as people with valid experiences and perspectives. Sometimes, it can even offer up a gloriously shirtless John Abraham for our consumption.
At the time of writing, Pathaan has crossed 600 cr global box office in only six days and is showing no sign of petering out. Khan and director Siddharth Anand seem to understand simple math: when you bother to think about half the world’s population, you can sell twice as many tickets.
If you’re riding high after watching Pathaan, here are a dozen more movies that centre the female gaze in different ways — so you can hold onto the feeling of seeing and being seen.
If you want to cheer on women kicking ass and taking names
Thor: Ragnarok (2019)
You don’t necessarily need to catch up on the entire Marvelverse before watching this action-packed superhero flick. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has lost his trusty hammer Mjolnir and with it, his mojo. As he tries to regain his power and stave off Ragnarok — the Norse end of days — Thor is confronted by his sister Hela, played by a terrifying, gorgeous Cate Blanchett.
The stakes are high, and the superpowered action sequences are a riot. Come for Blanchett’s chilling performance and stay for Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie, a literal knight in shining armour who rides in on a flying horse.
Watch it on Disney + Hotstar.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Okay, so a movie where we hardly get a glimpse of protagonist Tom Hardy’s face seems like a cruel joke at first. But Mad Max: Fury Road more than makes up for this lapse with the introduction of Charlize Theron’s Imperator Furiosa. Set in a post-apocalyptic desert where water is more precious than gold, Furiosa is a lieutenant for a brutal and despotic hoarder of resources.
When she betrays her leader and escapes their encampment, she and Max are forced to team up, resulting in one of the most insane chase scenes ever committed to film. Theron and Hardy will have your heart in your mouth until the end.
Watch it on Amazon Prime.
Jennifer’s Body (2009)
On the surface, this high school horror movie seems like an excuse to dress Megan Fox in tiny clothes, and then undress her. When popular girl Jennifer, played by Fox, turns into a flesh-eating zombie, her nerdy best friend Needy (Amanda Seyfried) tries to figure out what’s wrong with her. Against the backdrop of teenage politics, Jennifer continues to seduce boys and then murder them in a gruesome fashion.
Fox turns her own sex-symbol persona on its head, marrying eroticism with gory body horror in this stomach-turning revenge fantasy. When the cause of Jennifer’s strange condition is revealed, her actions become a lot more sympathetic.
Watch it on Google Play.
If you want to ogle hunky men and strong women
George of the Jungle (1997)
King Khan’s return to the big screen has us feeling all kinds of nostalgic. Lean into the ‘90s by rewatching this Disney classic. Played by Brendan Fraser — another comeback kid whose recent turn in The Whale has garnered him critical acclaim — George is the original himbo. Raised by animals, he swings on vines and frequently crashes into trees.
Yet George is caring enough to win the heart of the posh and pampered Ursula. On some level, don’t we all want to move to the jungle with a reliable, attractive partner who’s never heard of dating apps?
Watch it on Disney+ Hotstar.
Hustlers (2019)
Couldn’t get enough of Deepika’s sinewy physique? Then check out Hustlers, starring Jennifer Lopez as a pole dancer and stripper. Based on a true story, the strippers at a dance club are facing financial difficulties when they decide to start scamming clients. They soon spiral further into criminal activities that threaten their business and lives.
Aside from being an entertaining crime-drama, Hustlers visually celebrates the bodies of its leading women for what they can do as much as how they look. Be inspired to schedule a workout — maybe at a pole dancing studio.
Watch it on Amazon Prime.
War (2019)
Siddharth Anand’s previous contribution to the Yash Raj Films Spy Universe before Pathaan was a box-office monster, and it’s no wonder why. Anand fundamentally understands how to film attractive men — in this case, Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff.
As RAW agent Kabir, Roshan faces off against Shroff’s Khalid, an agent who carries the burden of his father’s betrayal. The full-throttle action scenes spare no detail of each actor’s muscled frame and looks that could kill. Are they going to fight or kiss? There’s only one way to find out.
Watch it on Amazon Prime.
If you want to watch women learning to find their own agency
Piku (2015)
Fans of Deepika will see her play a very different avatar as the titular character in this slice-of-life road trip film, starring Amitabh Bachchan as her ageing, irascible father Bhashkor. When he insists on visiting Kolkata, Piku is forced to accompany him on the trip and take care of him.
Women who know what it’s like to be constant caregivers will understand Piku’s frustration as she lovingly tries to do her best for her dad. Although the independent Piku struggles with feeling her life is not quite her own, she holds fast to her sense of self.
Watch it on SonyLiv.
Dirty Dancing (1987)
Nobody puts Baby in a corner in this evergreen ‘80s teen romcom. At a high-end summer resort with her family, Baby (Jennifer Grey) falls in love with the charismatic dance instructor Johnny. Though they come from different worlds, they carry on in secret while doing performances in public for the resort guests.
Through its thoughtful themes and plotlines, Dirty Dancing explores how girls like Baby throw off the expectations of their families and make their way to autonomy. While you’ll never find a man who can dance like Swayze, it doesn’t hurt to dream.
Watch it on Amazon Prime.
Queen (2013)
The quintessential Bollywood movie about a woman who goes her own way, Kangana Ranaut shines as Rani — a young bride-to-be who is jilted before her wedding day. Despite being unworldly and naive, a heartbroken Rani decides to go on her planned honeymoon by herself.
What follows is a European adventure that will shake the cobwebs off your jaded soul and make you book a solo trip (like this woman who took nine solo trips in a year.) Rani finds she doesn’t need a man, or anyone else in her life, to be happy.
Watch it on Netflix.
If you want to see older women taking centre stage
Maleficent (2014)
A grown-up take on the Sleeping Beauty tale, the origin story doesn’t cast Maleficent as a villain from the start. Instead, she’s a beautiful, powerful fairy who is still not immune to falling in love with a human peasant, Stefan. When Stefan cruelly betrays Maleficent to feed his lust for power, she transforms into a vengeful entity.
Jolie humanises the dark and demonic fairy, forcing us to see her point of view and root for her to get even. Is Maleficent the real villain, or is it the man who would sacrifice her for his own gain?
Watch it on Amazon Prime.
Darlings (2022)
While we’re used to watching darkly humorous criminal capers about gangs and heists, Darlings manages to find the funny side of domestic violence. Deftly helmed by the mother-daughter pairing of Alia Bhatt and Shefali Shah, the film takes a look at female solidarity and agency in an impossible situation.
When Badrunissa’s alcoholic husband goes too far in his abuse, she and her mother Shamshunissa decide it’s time to seek justice in the only way they can. Though they don’t have a scruple between them, it’s hard not to cheer these underdogs on.
Watch it on Netflix.
Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
A Chinese-American immigrant who runs a laundromat, Evelyn is falling apart. Her business is under audit, her husband wants a divorce, and her daughter is coming out as a lesbian. Michelle Yeoh gets under the skin of this beaten-down character whose existence gets even more complicated when she collides with the multiverse.
Sitting back and relaxing as Yeoh performs spinning kicks and somersaults is one of life’s eternal pleasures. Watching her hurtle through various universes as she battles her own daughter takes it to a whole new level.
Watch it on BookMyShow Stream.