International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on 8th March. It’s a day initiated to acknowledge and respect the feminine energy that the world is blessed to have. It is a day when important issues such as anti-discrimination and anti-sexism are highlighted globally.
Women are always believed to be multi-taskers. They are known to balance both their personal and professional lives. When needed, they can be your best friend and at the same time be the best employee. They can be your sweetest sister and also the strictest boss. Your biggest cheerleader and your biggest advisor are them. They are all the flavors in one single soul.
While there are many ways to honor International Women’s Day, in my opinion, binge-watching a series or film that explores various facets of being a woman is the best way to celebrate this day. So here are the top 5 must-watch movies/series which are a perfect ode to the many roles that a woman plays in their life span:
F.R.I.E.N.D.S (1994, Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman)
We all talk about Ross-Rachel, Monica-Chandler, and even about Joey-Chandler, but we don’t talk enough about the friendship Phoebe, Monica, and Rachel shared. The theme song ‘I will be there for you’ is justified by these three girls time and again. Whether it’s about Phoebe helping Rachel in keeping the latter’s pregnancy a secret, Monica taking care of Rachel’s baby as an unpaid nanny, or Rachael being emotionally available for Monica even when her family members weren’t there, the girls have always proved that its ‘sisters before misters’ for them.
CHAK DE INDIA (2007, Directed by Shimit Amin)
One of the greatest stereotypes that people often have is that women are incapable of playing sports. But Chak de India, directed by Shimit Amin, is the answer to all those who thought that sports are not a woman’s cup of tea. The plot is about a women’s hockey team who, with their talent and determination, rise to win the World Championship, something which many people can only dream about. What is more poignant about the movie is that it was the first time Shah Rukh Khan, who played the role of the coach, was overshadowed by the excellent acting of the 11 girls who played the role of hockey players.
QUEEN (2013, Directed by Vikas Bahl)
I think as young adults we might have secretly fantasized about our fiancé walking out on our wedding day so that we could travel alone to Paris for our honeymoon after seeing Rani on screen. A role truly owned by Kangana Ranaut, Rani has been one of the most iconic characters of Hindi cinema who inspired women coming from all walks of life. The hopeless romantic heart in all of us wants to sit in front of the Eiffel Tower and cry out, ‘meri toh life hi kharab ho gayi hai.’ Besides, what can be a better film to watch than this, when you’re with your ‘Vijaylaxmi’?
SKAM-Norwegian Series (2015, Directed by Julie Andem)
While few are aware of this series, it is a high-school drama that explores themes like teen romance, same-sex love, domestic problems of the students, etc. The reason I am recommending this series is because of the girl squad the main character, Noora Amalie Saetre, is a part of. In a group of five friends, the girls might argue occasionally, but they would always stand up for one another if necessary. Whether it was supporting Sana for her choice to wear hijab, voicing against the body shaming that Vilde faced, or making Noora realize that her relationship with Victor is toxic, the friendship outshines everything else in the series.
MISSION MANGAL (2019, directed by Jagan Shakti)
What is more empowering than women who know their jobs and are pretty good at them? Mission Mangal, based on India’s mission on the planet Mars, is about a team, majorly consisting of womenfolk who led one of India’s most prestigious missions to do the impossible: land on Mars. The film beautifully highlights the household problems that each of them faced, but still made sure that their rocket of hope and determination was not crushed. It’s a perfect watch for you and your squad if you’re in need of some top-notch dose of motivation.
While there is a good deal of other films/ web series which are perfect watches for women’s day, these are my personal favorites. Some suggestions made above celebrate women’s friendships, while others highlight their accomplishments in sports and space. Some celebrate women who ace both their personal and professional lives, some explore the journey of a woman toward self-love.
All in all, even though it’s a Women’s Day recommendation listicle, I believe these are the films/ series which you should watch at any time of the year. These are evergreen movies that talk about women in different parts of the world, doing different things and all succeeding in some way or the other.