Guneet Monga to Mansi Bagla: TOP 5 Female Filmmakers Who Created Never-Seen-Before Spectacles
By Lokmat Times Desk | Updated: August 4, 2025 19:33 IST2025-08-04T19:26:54+5:302025-08-04T19:33:38+5:30
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There are filmmakers who create films, and there are visionaries who chase dreams to evolve and reinvent the landscape of Indian cinema. From crafting films surrounding social narratives to bringing a fresh wave of romantic musicals, here are the top 5 female filmmakers who dared to change the game of cinema with their creative knack.
Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
As a director, writer and producer, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari has brought to the fore films like Nil Battey Sannata, Bareilly Ki Barfi, Panga, Tarla and Bawaal, among others, which are not only ahead of their time, but they also throw light on various aspects of female lives. As a filmmaker, Ashwiny tapped into real-life narratives and created films that are emotionally resonant and hard-hitting.
Mansi Bagla
Mansi Bagla is creating a steady shift by making selective choices of projects. As a producer and the mind behind its story, Mansi crafted the remarkable film Forensic, and kept the audience on the edge of their seats with its sharp twists. Forensic, as a term, was used earlier in CID; however, it gained familiarity after the film. Recently, she came up with a unique romantic musical, Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan. As its creative mind, she weaved emotions that combined the essence of Bollywood’s OG romantic era and also brought normalcy to the concept of a visually impaired hero - something that was hardly imagined for a conventional setup.
Ektaa Kapoor
Widely known for her work in television and film space, Ektaa Kapoor has been the driving force in elevating the appeal of the Indian entertainment space. Through projects like The Sabarmati Report, Dream Girl 2, The Buckingham Murders and Freddy, among others, Ektaa Kapoor has been the crowd-pulling filmmaker across mediums.
Guneet Monga
Oscar-winning filmmaker Guneet Monga has pinned Indian cinema on the world map. With films like The Elephant Whisperers, Kill, Peddlers, The Lunchbox, Masaan, Kathal and more, Guneet Monga is not chasing commercial cinema; instead, she is bringing stories that are deep-rooted in emotions, relations, and are independent-spirited.
Pragya Kapoor
Pragya Kapoor has established herself as a new-age producer by backing substantial films that send across a poignant social message, or films that revolve around real-life incidents, or fantasy films that transport the audience to a different world. At the helm as a producer, Pragya Kapoor has served big-screen spectacles like Kedarnath, Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, Maali and the latest release, Azaad.
By creating films across a range of genres, themes and concepts, these female forces are leading the charge of the modern Indian cinema.
