In several upcoming releases, we will see actresses portraying characters with divine elements
Are religiously empowered women and divine characters the flavour of the season? If we go by upcoming releases, we do see a trend of female characters who are connected to the divine in some way. In Odela 2, Tamannaah Bhatia, who is known for her glamorous roles, will be seen as an Aghori. Aghoris are ascetics who are disciples of Lord Shiva. In the first poster, the actress could be seen with an intense look, dressed in saffron robes, her forehead adorned with tilak. Another actress who has been part of numerous commercial hits, Kajal Aggarwal, plays the role of Goddess Parvathi in the upcoming Telugu film Kannappa.
She recently unveiled her look in the movie, which shows her in a pristine white saree, sitting amid the mountains with the imprint of Durga matha behind her.
Sonakshi Sinha, who just released her look for her first Telugu movie, Jatadhara, looks fierce in a goddess-like avatar. ‘Jatadhara’ means a person with matted hair, and traditionally, they have been associated with ascetic figures in Hinduism. We are also seeing Tamil star Nayanthara as a goddess in Mookuthi Amman 2 (Amur Thali 2 in Telugu). The actress looks resplendent as a goddess, complete with a golden crown and a trishul in her hand.
All over, we have been seeing an increase of mythological movies as filmmakers look towards India’s rich cultural to present new stories for viewers.
Commenting on the same, Mohan Vadlapatla, a producer and director in Tollywood, says: “There is a noticeable rise in actresses portraying characters with divine or spiritual influences. One of the factors which is driving this is audience interest. Nowadays, mythological and spiritual themes have a strong following. Secondly, we are seeing a rise of strong woman characters in cinema. Actresses want to portray these characters as they offer more depth and prominence.”
In an earlier interview, Ashok Teja, who directed Odela 2, said that they are also releasing the film in Hindi as the story has a universal appeal. The ease of releasing a film in various languages have also expanded the scope to experiment.
“Digital platforms and pan-India storytelling encourage diverse narratives indeed. Another important factor here is that these stories allow for rich storytelling and grand cinematic experiences.The visual grandeur of these movies is an added attraction,” adds Vadlapatla.
Actresses want to play these characters as they offer more depth. While religiously empowered women are currently in demand, this shift could become a lasting trend as films continue to explore strong, mythological female protagonists. — Mohan Vadlapatla, producer
