In a bid to improve female representation in Indian entertainment industry, Prime Video recently unveiled the third edition of its O Womaniya! report. This study, jointly conducted by Ormax Media and Film Companion, takes a comprehensive look at the state of female representation in the world of Indian films and series. The study delves into the roles of women in content production, marketing, and corporate leadership. The 2023 report analysed 156 films (both, theatrical and digital) and streaming series, released in 2022 across 8 different Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Bengali, and Gujarati.
The findings of this report shed light on both the progress and challenges in achieving better female representation within the industry. It's heartening to see influential figures and celebrities taking notice of these insights and pledging their support to enhance female representation in the industry, both in their personal and professional capacities.
Some key findings from the report:
Women currently hold only 12% of the 780 key positions analyzed in departments like direction, cinematography, editing, writing, and production design. While this represents a slight increase from 2021, it's primarily due to improvements in the streaming sector, with theatrical films remaining stagnant.
When it comes to marketing, women still receive just 27% of talk time in trailers. Streaming films lead in this area, allocating 33% of talk time to female characters. Films and series like "Hush Hush," "Gehraiyaan," and "The Fame Game" have shown exemplary inclusion with at least 50% of talk time in trailers dedicated to female leads.
The Bechdel Test, which measures gender representation in films, reveals a drop from 55% in 2021 to 47% in 2022. The most significant decline is in theatrical films, where only 34% managed to pass the test in 2022 compared to 46% the previous year.
In terms of corporate leadership, only 13% of the 135 Director/ CXO positions studied across 25 top M&E firms in India are held by women.
Visit here for the complete report.
The O Womaniya! report highlights the need for the industry to take a more serious look at inclusion. Streaming continues to be a champion of female representation, but the lacklustre performance of theatrical films should serve as a wake-up call for the industry. It's encouraging to see the industry's response to this data, as it emphasizes their genuine commitment to positive change.
Talking about the significance of the report and pledges, Aparna Purohit, head of Originals, India & Southeast Asia, Prime Video said, "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.”
Sharing his thoughts on the latest findings in O Womaniya!, Shailesh Kapoor, Founder & CEO, Ormax Media said, “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.”
Speaking about the report, Anupama Chopra, Founder & Editor, Film Companion said, “We are thrilled to see greater participation from the industry, with key individuals taking on specific targets and actions to take this conversation forward. 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.”
In addition to Prime Video, this report has received support from other industry partners, including Clean Slate Filmz, Emmay Entertainment, Excel Entertainment, Jio Studio, Producers Guild India, RSVP, SonyLiv, Tiger Baby, and Zee5.
To discuss the findings of the report and figure resolutions, leading names from the industry, including Kriti Sanon, Zoya Akhtar, Vikramaditya Motwane, Alankrita Shrivastava, Hansal Mehta, Juhi Chaturvedi, and Aparna Purohit got together for a roundtable hosted by Anupama Chopra.
Watch the full roundtable here.
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