Redefining Femininity: Meet the Strongest Female Characters from Recent Indian Web-Series

By: Sruthi, Writer, WomenEntrepreneurIndia

The entertainment sector has been transformed by OTT platforms. They've opened up an altogether new world of transformation and adventure. One big change that the world has seen is the development of brave and strong female characters. They aren't just glam dolls or damsels in distress anymore. Rather, they are shown as an impermeable figure that isn't scared to be herself in any situation and gives the male characters trouble. She might be a woman who battles for men's rights, or she might be a woman who loves and enjoys her life far more than a patriarchal and judgmental society would expect. Women Entrepreneur India Magazine has compiled a list of 10 powerful female characters who continue to inspire us and keep us on our toes.

Aarya Sareen (Sushmita Sen): Aarya

Aarya, played by Sushmita Sen, provided us with a relatable female lead, despite the fact that she did not fit into the world of the average moviegoer. Perhaps for the first time, the show revealed that great talent does not wane with age. Aarya was a devoted mother, an abandoned sister and daughter, and a rising vicious crime-lord. Her character, on the other hand, showed through in every manner, making her one of our favourite fictional characters.

Raji (Samantha Ruth Prabhu): The Family Man 2

Samantha Ruth Prabhu plays Raji in Season 2 of Family Man, and her performance grabbed the audience. This was her first excursion into both the OTT and Bollywood worlds. In the second season of the show, Raji is revealed to be a Sri Lankan militant. Raji is a bold and resolute woman seeking vengeance for the tragedies that have befallen her and her family. Raji's character in the show pays tribute to Eelam women while emphasising the problems that women endured during the civil war and continue to face today.

 Beena Tripathi (Rasika Dugal): Mirzapur

Beena Tripathi is a cunning player, whether she's exploiting her family members' perceptions of her or twisting facts and reality to her benefit. She is more than capable of governing Mirzapur from the sidelines, as she demonstrated in the second season. Her acts are not always ethically correct, but they are completely appropriate in the context of deception and betrayal.

Manju Devi (Neena Gupta): Panchayat

Things that appear easy to us can sometimes be the mountain upon which a woman's feelings of self-worth and independence are constructed. Learning the National Anthem was a similar experience for Manju Devi. She accurately depicted a generation of women who aspired to break free from patriarchy while remaining comfortable and conditioned to the status quo.

Nikhat Hussain (Anupriya Goenka): Criminal Justice S2

From supporting Anuradha in recognising the long-term repercussions of emotional abuse to standing up to her own mother, Nikhat became a metaphor for women who chose to evolve and learn from their experiences rather than become weighed down by how unfair life had been. Nikhat is a realistic feminist icon because she was sympathetic, aware, and eager to fight for her beliefs.

Sucheta Dalal (Shreya Dhanwanthary): Scam 1992

Shreya Dhanwanthary portrayed Sucheta Dalal, a journalist and author who worked for the Times of India when she investigated the high-profile Harshad Mehta Scam in 1992. She went on to investigate and report on other high-profile financial fraud cases, such as the Enron and Industrial Development Bank of India scandals, as well as the Ketan Parekh scam in 2001.

Lata (Tanya Maniktala): A Suitable Boy

Even though it was set decades before 2020, Lata's issues could easily relate to today's society, with a mother obsessed with her marriage and a love life more complicated than she would have imagined.

Kasturi Dogra (Raveen Tandon): Aranyak

Aranyak is Raveena Tandon's first foray into the OTT arena. This Netflix web series follows a local police officer, played by Tandon, who is on her way out when she becomes involved in a high-profile case. The series takes place in the enigmatic hills of the Himalayas.

Raveena Tandon's character, Kasturi Dogra, is a fiery, independent, severe, and competent police officer. Kasturi's demeanour represents a variety of emotions that women can identify with, ranging from hardness to trust.

DCP Vartika Chaturvedi (Shefali Shah): Delhi Crime

The horrific Nirbhaya rape case that shook the entire country inspired the International Emmy Award-winning show Delhi Crime. Shefali Shah plays DCP Vartika Chaturvedi, who is the case's chief investigator. Disgusted and affected by the horrific act, she takes matters into her own hands. She perseveres in the face of adversity, working day and night to apprehend the criminals. DCP Vartika Chaturvedi is a dedicated officer who demands the same from her officers. Her calm and rational demeanour ensures that the culprits are held legally accountable.

Sheel Chaudhary (Sakshi Tanwar): Mai

Actor Sakshi Tanwar is featured in Netflix's new original series, Mai. Sakshi portrays a middle-class mother who witnesses her daughter being killed by a speeding truck in Mai. The bereaved mother realises that her daughter's death was not as simple as it seemed. She seeks answers, confronts mobsters, works as a nurse, and bashes a few skulls with fire extinguishers along the way. More and more evidence convinces her that her daughter was brutally murdered in order to conceal a secret that many people want to keep hidden.