Alia Bhatt, Hansal Mehta, Siddharth Roy Kapur and others pledge to promote women diversity in films

Alia Bhatt, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Hansal Mehta, and several other prominent figures in the Indian entertainment industry have made a collective pledge to continue promoting diversity in films and content production. This commitment comes in response to the findings of a comprehensive study titled "O Womaniya!". It is the most extensive and in-depth analysis of female representation in the Indian entertainment industry to date. The report, a collaborative effort between Ormax Media, Film Companion, and Prime Video, was released on October 26, 2023.

The study examined the state of female representation in content production, marketing, and corporate leadership across the entertainment industry. While it did reveal a modest increase in women's representation in these areas, there is still much work to be done to achieve true diversity and inclusion. In response to the report's findings, several industry leaders, including Alia Bhatt, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Hansal Mehta, and others, have pledged to actively support and promote diversity in their projects.

Alia Bhatt, a talented actor and producer, recently received her first National Film Award for her role in the female-led film "Gangubai Kathiawadi" and is involved in producing another female-centric narrative, "Darlings." She stated, "I pledge to continue to promote diversity in my production projects."

Siddharth Roy Kapur expressed his commitment, saying, "To continue to promote diversity in my projects, to continue to include women in writer's rooms, and to continue to follow the government-mandated PoSH guidelines and have an ICC within the organization."

Hansal Mehta, a renowned filmmaker, also expressed his dedication, saying, "To promote diversity in my projects and to include women in writer's rooms."

Filmmakers Gayatri and Pushkar added their voices to this pledge, saying, "To continue to promote diversity in our projects, to continue to include women in writer's rooms, and to continue to follow the government-mandated PoSH guidelines and have an ICC within the organization."

Numerous other filmmakers have also joined in pledging their commitment to promoting diversity in films.

Shailesh Kapoor, Founder & CEO of Ormax Media, emphasized the importance of the report's findings, stating, "While there has been a slow but steady improvement in a few key parameters, the report has thrown light on the need to take a look at inclusion with a serious eye." He also expressed satisfaction in seeing the industry acknowledge the data and unite in pledging to bring about positive change in representation.

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The study examined 156 films and series released in 2022, spanning eight languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Bengali, and Gujarati. It revealed that only 12 percent of 780 department head positions in various fields such as directing, cinematography, editing, writing, and production design were held by women, representing a slight increase from the 10 percent recorded in 2021.

This collective pledge by industry leaders signifies a commitment to addressing the gender disparity in the entertainment sector and ensuring that diversity and inclusion become more than just ideals, but a reality in Indian films and content production.