Like every year, 2021 saw many movies, documentaries and shows being released. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, both 2020 and 2021 have been dominated by stunning cinematic stories being released on OTT platforms. With cinema halls and multiplexes shut for the majority of the time globally, and only sporadic and limited reopenings (with strict protocols in place) in the second half of 2021, OTT platforms became our main source of entertainment. And each and every one of these platforms delivered, not only in terms of making new releases available but also in increasing access to movies from 2020 and the years before.
But has this predominance of OTT platforms given a fair representation to women, whether in leading roles or driving narratives behind the scenes? Has the global entertainment industry improved in giving us more fleshed out, realistic roles this year? Let’s take a look back.
Chloe Zhao and Youn Yuh-Jung
Movers And Shakers Behind The Scenes
2021 began with the awards season, once again held virtually and broadcast in real-time globally. Perhaps the biggest win for women this year was when Chloe Zhao bagged the Oscar for directing Nomadland (a 2020 movie that puts a woman’s life experiences front and centre). Not only was she the first woman of colour to win an Oscar for directing, but also became only the second woman, ever, to win in the category. Zhao also won the BAFTA for directing Nomadland, which was simply a cherry on the cake.
A number of other women also made their mark at the awards season in 2021. Youn Yuh-Jung became the first Asian woman to win an individual motion picture category at the SAG Awards for the movie Minari. She also bagged the bestsupporting actress award at the Oscars, becoming the second Korean woman to win in the category. Frances McDormand won the Oscar for the best actress, while Mj Rodriguez became the first transperson to be ever nominated for the lead actress category at the 2021 Emmy Awards.
In fact, whether it was the Oscars, Bafta, Golden Globes or the Emmys, women behind the camera won as many accolades as women in front of it did. These pathbreaking women and their stories are truly inspiring, and showed that the entertainment industry is quickly becoming more and more inclusive and diverse.
Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon in The Morning Show.
The Shows That Made The Year Amazing
Looking back at the year 2021 was, there is one short scene from a series on an OTT platform that stands out the most for this author. Two superheroes—the feminine to boot girl-next-door Starlight, and Queen Maeve, who was outed as bisexual—and one Asian-origin superhuman, Kimiko, beat the hell out of a neo-Nazi superhero, Stormfront, in the finale of Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys. It was not an exaggerated fight shot in the same light as Marvel and DC’s women heroes are. Two of the women were clad, not in tight spandex costumes that accentuate their figures but in jeans, t-shirts and jackets. All four women, hero or villain, didn’t hold back their punches.
The scene, barely a minute long, was unapologetically raw and violent—what you’d expect from a male-led action scene, but not a women-led one. In a year that witnessed multiple Marvel releases on OTT platforms, beginning with WandaVision and ending with Hawkeye (both on Disney+ Hotstar), this scene and the show really stayed with this author because, for a change, women action heroes were shown in an unprecedented light. At the same time, The Boys also turns the concept of superheroes on its head, which is really refreshing in a world where this genre of movies is dominating the world over.
But these women weren’t the only ones who left an indelible mark on OTT platforms in 2021. Kate Winslet led the Mare of Easttown with a rare performance—she portrayed a middle-aged detective in a small town who is deeply flawed as a woman and a mother, but sharp as a weapon when it comes to her job as a policewoman. Apple TV+ brought the epic fantasy fiction story of Foundation to our home screens, and unlike in the books, this one was marked by strong female leads, mostly women of colour—and even featured Indian actress Kubbra Sait. Another biggie from the same platform was the second season of The Morning Show, starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. While the previous season dealt with the Me Too movement, the second season portrayed stories from the pandemic—some of which hit close to home.
The female cast of The Boys made quite the mark in the action genre.
On the home front, the year started with Bombay Begums, starring Pooja Bhatt and Shahana Goswami, on Netflix—a show which focused mostly on working women (and mothers) from different strata of Mumbai society. The second season of The Family Man on Amazon Prime Video, while reprising the relatable character of Suchitra played by Priyamani, also gave us a new gem: Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s Raji, a militant who is at once passionate in her search for justice and heartless and strong through some of the best action scenes we have seen on Indian television this year. The same OTT platform also brought us the stories of women in the healthcare and media fields during the 26/11 terrorist attacks through the medical drama, Mumbai Diaries 26/11.
The year 2021 ended with not one but two women-led performances that were gritty to the core and so fleshed out that the characters stay with you—Aarya Sareen, played by Sushmita Sen on Hotstar’s Aarya season two, and Raveena Tandon as Kasturi Dogra on Netflix’s Aaranyak. If you haven’t seen either yet, both come highly recommended because, despite flaws, they showcase lead female characters in a light that we haven’t seen before, especially within the Indian context.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu as Raji in The Family Man, Season 2.
Movies That Made OTT Releases, And Reigned Supreme
When it comes to movie releases on OTT platforms that captured global eyeballs, let’s start with Netflix. On the Indian front, the year started with Tribhanga, the story of three generations of women, headlined by three amazing actresses—Kajol, Tanvi Azmi and Mithila Palkar. While you may have seen mother-daughter stories, this one brought a rare story of a mother-daughter-granddaughter trio, and was directed by veteran actress Renuka Shahane. On Netflix at least, the year belonged to actress Sanya Malhotra, who featured as a sombre widow who discovers herself in Pagglait, and a feisty young woman in Meenakshi Sundareshwar—proving that women-led movies can truly touch your hearts and win critical acclaim too.
The biggest women-led release on Amazon Prime Video was Sherni. And how could it not be with an unusual, inspiring, women-oriented plot that focused on the brilliant actress that is Vidya Balan? While Disney+ Hotstar did not present any noteworthy women-led or women-oriented entries from India, it had plenty to offer in the form of Marvel entries like Black Widow, Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings, WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Loki, What If…?, and Hawkeye—all featuring powerful women in numerous roles. Do we crave more realistic portrayals of the leading ladies of MCU—with Awkwafina for example—instead of spandex-dressed women who fight like men to fit into a man’s world? Sure! But for action-movie lovers among women, each of these entries was powerful enough to sustain us through 2021.
Sanya Malhotra in Pagglait.
Looking Ahead To 2022
As you can see clearly, while the larger entertainment industry is slowly presenting more women-led and women-oriented projects, OTT platforms have moved forward much faster in incorporating such projects. The digital space is not only offering up more stories around women, but also exploring historical themes in a fresher package with the perspective of women front and centre. A fine example of this was Impeachment on Disney+ Hotstar, which brought a reconstructed narrative around the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky affair particularly from the viewpoint of the women involved in the event that rocked the world in 1998!
With more women scriptwriters, producers and directors now getting the spotlight—and the much-needed opportunity to explore stories that wouldn’t have reached us even half a decade back—this trend on OTT platforms is all set to grow further. Here’s hoping 2022 witnesses exponential growth in this trend, with more stories for women, by women reaching us through this easily accessible medium.