The OTT platforms have changed the face of the entertainment industry. They have opened a whole new horizon for experimentation and novelty. One notable change I witnessed is the introduction of brave and strong female characters. Gone are the days when they portrayed damsels in distress or mere glam doll. Rather, their portrayal is impregnable and gives a tough fight to the male characters. Therefore, I am listing some examples of strong female characters.
Brave and strong female characters rocking the OTT world
1. City of Dreams
First on the list has to be our Marathi mulgi – Priya Bapat. Her performance left me spellbound, literally. She outperformed amid the strong assembled cast, including Atul Kulkarni and Sachin Pilgaonkar. With this web series, she proved her versatility. During my stint as a journalist, I witnessed her bubbly avatar. However, in this series, she shows her ruthless side of acting, and it is mindblowing.
Where to watch: Disney + Hotstar
2. Aarya
Sushmita Sen made a comeback with this series, and what an unvarnished performance. She outshines every actor in this series. Initially, the series depicts her as a simple housewife, but eventually, she shows her real side. Some turn of events makes her ruthless and dangerous. Throughout the series, her presence is mind-blowing, her body language is elegant, and she effortlessly slips into every emotion. Amid all this, special mention to her designer Theia Tekchandaney for creating some amazing looks.
Where to watch: Disney + Hotstar
3. Decoupled
Decoupled is the latest web series in English starring R. Madhavan and Surveen Chawla. They play a married couple who are on the verge of getting divorced. When I saw the trailer, I was skeptical about the pairing. Additionally, playing the mother of a teenager was a little uncanny. However, when I watched the web series, it was stupendous. The chemistry of the lead characters is worth watching. Not just this, but I felt Surveen’s presence is the icing on the cake. Her style, aura, and acting are outstanding. Some might find the series “modern,” but I feel it shows the reality!
Where to watch: Netflix
4. Hundred
One of the strongest OTT female characters are in this series – Lara Dutta and Rinku Rajguru. I always admired Lara, but Rinku was a surprise package altogether. Her acting bowled me over. I knew her acting from Sairat. However, in this series, she outshines everyone, even Lara. I had never seen her in this avatar, which is why she truly is one of the brave and strong female characters.
Where to watch: Disney + Hotstar
5. Aranyak
I think the OTT platform has proved to be a comeback mechanism for yesteryear female actors and in this case for Raveena Tandon. Before watching the series, my dear friend had alerted me about the scariness, and it actually is! But what an exceptional performance by every actor. Raveena effortlessly slips into the character with authentic dialect and body language. Indeed, one of my favorite brave and strong female characters.
Where to watch: Netflix
6. Four More Shots Please!
This web series is a royal treat because you have not one but a combination of four brave and strong female characters. Do you know what’s the best part? All these characters are no abala nari (innocent women) but headstrong and independent. They all have their problems, but they tackle them aesthetically. And what do I say about the casting because Sayani Gupta, Bani J, Kirti Kulhari, and Maanvi Gagroo have outperformed! This series is definitely a must-watch!
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
7. Family Man 2
I witnessed Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s acting only after watching Eega. I always knew about her acting abilities, but I hardly watch South Indian films. However, when I saw her performance in Family Man 2, I was awestruck, like literally! Her minimal dialogues but action sequences and acting are simply astounding.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
8. Illegal
Frankly, I never thought Neha Sharma would make it to this list. Hardly seen her work, so I was skeptical. But she proved me wrong. Indeed, she gives her best in this series amid stellar actors like Piyush Mishra, Akshay Oberoi, Kubbra Sait, and Satyadeep Mishra. Yes, sometimes she gets overshadowed when in frame with Piyush Mishra. But isn’t that obvious? His acting is superlative, yet she maintains the position with good dialogue delivery.
Where to watch: Voot
9. Bombay Begums
This web series is completely women-oriented, and its name says it all. This series is not gripping and is a one-time watch. But I applaud the portrayal of brave and strong female characters of Pooja Bhatt, Amruta Subhash, Shahana Goswami, Plabita Borthakur, and Aadhya Anand. It explores the lives of these ambitious women from various walks of society, their struggles, desires, and disappointments in the backdrop of Mumbai.
Where to watch: Netflix
10. Masaba Masaba
This web series showcasing the life of designer Masaba Gupta is not a great watch, but I love Neena Gupta and Masaba’s acting. It is a light watch and focuses on the struggle that engulfs the life of Masaba. Being a designer, she has played her part well, but Neena is the clear winner. Firstly, she looks gorgeous, and do I have to say anything about her acting talent?
Where to watch: Netflix
On a parting note
So, this was my strong female characters list, but I have to watch many series. There are many OTT female characters in the series, like Churails, Ek Thi Begum, Kaun Banegi Shikharwati, Maharani, Grahan, etc. So, I have a long list to unravel but if you wish to add some, feel free to comment. I will be more than happy to explore more brave and strong female characters.
