Female Filmmakers finding it tough in Tollywood. A handful of talented female directors in Tollywood are facing challenges in securing offers and competing with their male counterparts. Despite notable figures like Nandini Reddy (Oh Baby), Sujana Rao (Gamanam), Seshu Sindhu Rao (Choosi Choodanganey), Sowjanya (Varudu Kavalenu), and Sanjana Reddy (Raju Gadu), these directors are struggling to consistently produce films and ascend the ladder of success. New entrants like Deepthi Ghanta (Meet Cute) and Neeraja Kona (preparing a film with Siddhu Jonallagada) have recently joined the industry.
Producer Lagadapati Sridhar sheds light on the challenges faced by female directors, suggesting that some may hesitate to approach producers due to industry notoriety and an apprehensive environment. He emphasizes the need for the film industry to shed its male-chauvinistic attitude for female directors to thrive. Sridhar acknowledges that some female directors have expressed concerns about the industry's lack of support and that repeated visits to production houses are not yielding positive outcomes.
Sridhar contends that women directors, with their ability to handle tender emotions adeptly, often find themselves constrained to soft love stories and family dramas. In the current trend favoring action films, he believes this limitation affects their chances of securing offers.
However, actor-turned-director Jeevitha Rajasekhar disputes the notion that Female directors are confined to feel-good entertainers. She asserts that talent is not gender-specific and points out that women are gradually finding their place in traditionally male-centric domains across various industries. Jeevitha, who has directed significant films in Tollywood, acknowledges the scarcity of female directors not only in Tollywood but also in Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada industries.
Jeevitha envisions a positive future where women will take center stage and inspire others to showcase their creative talents in various forms in Tollywood. She believes that the focused and disciplined nature of women will inevitably lead to a transformative shift in the industry. As women continue to break barriers in diverse fields, Jeevitha is optimistic that Tollywood will witness a more inclusive and empowering era for female directors.