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2022 began on a promising note for Bollywood's leading ladies.
It's not even the end of the first quarter and already Deepika Padukone in Gehraiyaan and Alia Bhatt in Gangubai Kathiawadi have all guns blazing as women at the centre of a spectacle.
If the rest of the roster is any indication, women will rule the scene at Hindi movies this year.
What better occasion than International Women's Day to take a look? Sukanya Verma points them out.
Jalsa, Vidya Balan
Vidya plays a journalist caught between ethical challenges as well as emotional ones when she sets out to cover the story of a teenager's hit and run case in Suresh Triveni's Jalsa.
Given Vidya's success at playing women of substance in films as varied as Milan Luthria's The Dirty Picture, Triveni's Tumhari Sulu and Amit Masurkar's Sherni, it's only fair to assume she'll do complete justice to yet another powerful avatar.
Bhakshak, Bhumi Pednekar
Bhumi, too, plays a fearless journalist in Bhakshak, which revolves around crimes against women.
How her resolve to share the story of a woman's injustice is met with intimidatory tactics by people in power forms the crux of its feminist tale.
Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway, Rani Mukerji
Ever so hungry for meaty, author-backed roles, Rani is ready to sink her teeth into Ashima Chibber's upcoming drama.
Based on true events, the actress plays a misunderstood mother forced to fight for the guardianship of her own children in face of a Scandinavian country's stringent child care laws.
Woh Ladki Hai Kahaan, Shabaash Mithu, Taapsee Pannu
PINK, Naam Shabana, Manmarziyaan, Badla, Game Over, Saand Ki Aankh, Mulk, Thappad, Haseen Dilruba, Rashmi Rocket, Looop Lapeta... Taapsee's career is brimming with strong, central, characters.
It will be fun to see her in the role of a cop searching for a missing girl in the light-hearted caper co-starring Pratik Gandhi.
We are equally eager to see her as the captain of the Indian women's cricket team leading it to 2017's World Cup final as Mithali Raj in Shabaash Mithu.
Chakda 'Xpress, Anushka Sharma
Anushka's bond with cricket is well documented.
In Chakda 'Xpress, she celebrates its glory too, as well as former Indian captain Jhulan Goswami's in a biopic about the pacer's professional prowess and personal strength.
Dhaakad, Tejas, Kangana Ranaut
Kangana's films are a showcase for her talent in the strictest sense.
Where spy thriller Dhaakad guarantees to flaunt her action star might to the hilt, Ranaut goes all out daredevil to portray an Indian Air Force pilot in and as Tejas.
Salaam Venky, Kajol
Actress-turned-film-maker Revathy ropes in Kajol to play an extraordinary mom in trying circumstances in Salaam Venky.
Kajol has played quite a few mums -- My Name is Khan, We Are Family, Helicopter Eela, Tribhanga -- in recent years and hardly ever got it wrong.
Double XL, Huma Qureshi, Sonakshi Sinha
Often a target of fat shaming themselves, Sonakshi and Huma address a subject they feel strongly about in Double XL.
In an industry where appearances mean everything, this is an important movie, which does not star Ayushmann Khurrana.
Darlings, Alia Bhatt, Shefali Shah
Not much is known about the project except it pits two of our best talents as a middle-class mother-daughter pair in a quirky slice-of-life about learning a thing or two about love and life.
Darlings marks Alia Bhatt's first as producer.
Jee Le Zara, Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif, Alia Bhatt
Why should boys have all the fun?
Farhan Akhtar's gender-reversed Dil Chahta Hai ropes in a gorgeous girl gang of A-listers to play besties on a road trip in the aptly titled Jee Le Zara.
Besides the scenic tourism, it'll be exciting to witness all the unique inner, intimate reflections on life and friendships Jee Le Zara has packed on in its itinerary.
