With the entire planet clebrating the Women’s Day I thought I should also join the celebrations!

But no dinners/lunch/gifts or shopping. Apologies to the women in my life!

Instead I will list movies, both Hindi as well as English, which had really good women centric script or the female cast left a lasting impression. The list is random. I love them all

1: Leading the list is of course Astitva: A very bold and unusual story. In bollywood bold means showing more flesh. But this offering from Mahesh Manjerakar and Tabu was bold in its content and the step Tabu who played the role of Aditi, takes after her husband “manages to estabilish” that he was not the real father of his son. Wonderful dialogues, this will always remain a favourite.

2: Phir Milenge: I catched the repeat telecast of the movie just last week. Again the movie is unusual as it talks about AIDS but not about the disease or how Shilpa Shetty got the virus. But what happens after people around her discover about her disease. Brilliant performance by Shilpa.

3: Erin Brokowich: Simply outstanding. The way the film opens we hav no clue where it wll end. But Julia Roberts takes us through the life of a single mother who  woks a prostitute and goes on to become a legal assistant.

4: Aakhir Kyun: Smita Patil in a really memorable role. Even Tina Munim managed to give good support to the principal cast. Add to this some really good songs popular even today.

5: Parineeta: That a movie on this theme can be made in 21st century??? Amazing performance and the good old Calcutta.

6: The Sound of Music: Maria makes me laugh and cry… Life and how to live it.

7: Charade: Saw is only last week. A mystery-comedy about a woman whose husband is dead and people think he has left her huge money which they claim is theirs.

8: Pinjar: A tragic love story about women during the Indo-Pak partition.

9: Jab We Met: Geet is again like girls today. Independent, modern and yet traditional. Hard not to smile even when Kareena and Shahid get cosy and uncomfortable… and Shahid says ho jata hai yaar kabhie kabhie…

10: Zubeidaa/Joggers Park/Silsila/Jaane Tu… yaa jane na/Pretty Woman/Abhiman/Lamhe/Chandni: All the movies had strong female roles and all were different. Far far from the conventional role we have been seeing. The women in these films had a mind of their own and did their own thing.

And the Oscar goes to Katherine… best director and best film.