Researchers analysed 15 crucial parameters — from representation to consent — to map how Indian cinema portrays gender, intimacy, and power.
A multi-institution study placed intersectional representation, occupation, screen time, agency, and depictions of consent under the lens. The researchers coded more than 500 hours of content across mainstream Hindi and regional films released between 2019–2023. The results show marginal improvements in the presence of women and queer characters, but stubborn stereotypes persist.
Women are still underrepresented in STEM roles on screen and are more likely to be framed within domestic spaces. Consent cues — verbal or otherwise — are frequently ambiguous, and comedic framing of stalking continues to normalise boundary violations. Yet, there are exceptions: smaller budget dramas and streaming-first releases tend to write clearer consent and offer richer arcs to characters beyond the gender binary.
Why does this matter? Popular culture primes behaviour. When audiences repeatedly see assertive refusal reframed as romantic resistance, it blurs the lines for younger viewers. The study recommends industry-wide intimacy protocols, sensitivity readers in writers’ rooms, and on-set intimacy coordinators for scenes of sexual proximity.
Regulators cannot legislate creativity, but they can support best practices. Film schools and guilds should embed consent literacy in curricula, and rating boards can consider context-sensitive advisories. Above all, storytellers must recognise that nuance sells; complex, consent-forward romances are not just ethical — they are commercially viable.