The Tamil film industry rarely offers meaty, sensible roles to women. Even though K-town has evolved in terms of filmmaking, the industry has been casting women merely as eye candy for years. However, there are many instances in which women actors have portrayed realistic, independent and brave characters. Here are 15 women characters in Tamil films who stood up for themselves.
Chellama – Pannaiyarum Padminiyum (2014)
Chellama, played by Tulasi, is a loving and bold woman who lives in a village. She protects the one she loves, supports him and parallelly she picks up small fights with him. The scene in which she innocently requests Murugesan, played by Vijay Sethupathi, to teach her husband driving captures our hearts.
Rudhra – Kodi (2016)
Rudhra, played by Trisha, is an ambitious and affectionate girl-next-door. Women in many Indian films are usually shown to give up their dreams for love or for their family. Unconventionally, Rudhra chooses her aspirations and contests in the local body elections against Kodi, played by Dhanush. Surviving in politics is not easy but she does it effortlessly.
Malarvizhi – Iraivi (2016)
Malarvizhi, played by Pooja Devariya, is into casual relationships and hook-ups, and does not believe in the institution of marriage. Though Iraivi – which I felt viewed women through men’s eyes – didn’t work for me, the female roles were decently etched. The raw characters resonated with our lives.
Aruvi – Aruvi (2016)
Aruvi, played by Aditi Balan, gets kicked out of her house when she tests positive for HIV. Subjected to abuse and harassment, a shattered Aruvi makes a comeback in style through a reality show and questions societal norms. From being daddy’s little girl to growing into an independent woman, we see Aruvi evolving through the film.
Althea – Taramani (2017)
Althea, played by Andrea Jeremiah, is a fiercely independent single mom, who is the breadwinner of her family. She gracefully accepts her ex-husband’s sexuality and chooses not to out him without his consent despite facing hostile questions from society. She does not consider it her responsibility to deal with men’s insecurities.
Madhivadhani – Aramm (2017)
In Aramm, Nayanthara plays Madhivadhani, an IAS officer. She works for the welfare of the people and is shown to deal with difficult circumstances sensibly. To sum it up, she is a daring and dauntless woman.
Anjali – Imaikkaa Nodigal (2018)
In this film, Nayanthara plays a CB-CID officer named Anjali who is working on a dangerous case. She is a single mother who is raising her daughter to be confident and bold. Smart and feisty, Anjali cracks the case and finds the murderer.
Meera – Peranbu (2018)
Peranbu features Anjali Ameer as Meera, a compassionate woman who wishes to lead a peaceful marital life. She takes good care of Paapa, played by Sadhana. The way she expresses her love and desire for Amudhavan, played by Mammootty, is honest.
Kokila – Kolamaavu Kokila (2018)
Kokila, played by Nayanthara, is a naive woman who loves and protects her family. She takes risks, even smuggling drugs and murdering people to save her sick mother. This titular role is one of the most interesting characters played by Nayanthara.
Janaki – 96 (2018)
Janaki, played by Trisha, meets her childhood sweetheart at their school reunion 20 years after they studied together. Janaki and Ram, played by Vijay Sethupathi, spend a night together talking. Their conversations take us through a rollercoaster of love, regrets and pain. Straightforward, bold and honest, Janaki floored the audience, prompting remakes in Telugu, Kannada and Hindi.
Vaembu – Super Deluxe (2019)
Vaembu, played by Samantha, is a gentle, grounded and practical woman. She explores her sexuality unapologetically and takes responsibility for her actions. Super Deluxe is one of the rare Tamil movies in which women talk about their priorities and sexual desires.
Meera – Seththum Aayiram Ponn (2019)
Meera aka Kunjamma, played by Nivedhithaa Sathish, is a city-bred makeup artist who is forced to visit her grandmother after a family tragedy. Her relationship with her grandmother Krishnaveni, played by Srilekha Rajendran, evolves from dislike to love by the end of the film. Meera is a sensible woman who stands by her craft and proves herself as a makeup artist when the village people mock her.
Kamala – Psycho (2020)
Kamala, played by Nithya Menen, is quadriplegic, loud, and an ex-sub-inspector. She helps Gautham, played by Udayanidhi Stalin, solve a case. The way she channelises her knowledge and energy to help Gautham is impressive.
Bommi – Soorarai Pottru (2020)
Bommi aka Sundari, played by Aparna Balamurali, is an independent woman who supports her husband Maara’s dreams but does not give up on hers either. She gives it back to every patriarchal thought thrown her way. When Maara, played by Suriya, says 20 men have rejected her, she retorts that his business ideas were so impractical that 24 banks had refused to loan him money. It has been heartening to see Bommi’s character get a lot of love from viewers.
Thenmozhi – Mandela (2021)
Thenmozhi, played by Sheela Rajkumar, runs a local post office. Standing up bravely against casteism, she helps Mandela (Yogi Babu), a resident who has been ignored by the villagers because he does not belong to any caste. Later, when Mandela takes advantage of his all-important vote during elections, she opposes him. Thenmozhi is portrayed as an honourable and progressive woman who leads by example.