Picture a Mumbai set where the director sketches a woman’s face instead of a man’s. Manoj Bajpayee spotted the change firsthand, noting how the once‑male‑dominated storyboard was now a woman in the lead role.
Bajpayee told IANS, “The heroine has been coming as a hero for a long time. I remember Vidya Balan, I remember Kajol’s movies too. It’s taking its time, but it’s happening.” He added that the slow shift is a sign of the industry finally recognizing the weight of a female protagonist.
The breakthrough, he says, lies in the economics of OTT. Because streaming projects cost a fraction of a big‑budget film, producers feel less pressure to bank on an established male star. That risk‑free environment lets them experiment with women at the center.
Kriti Sanon echoed this sentiment at the NDTV World Summit 2026, urging directors to back female‑led blockbusters with the same money as a Pathaan or Dhurandhar. “If we make a Pathaan with a female lead and invest equally, the story itself will drive the box office,” she warned.
Bajpayee’s current gig is the Netflix thriller Gajab Raat, where he teams up with Divya Dutta, Akshay Oberoi and a fresh cast. The show is a testament to how streaming can give seasoned actors new platforms while opening doors for emerging talent.
The next step? A surge in female‑driven originals across the major services, coupled with a growing audience appetite for stories that put women front and center. If the trend holds, Bollywood’s next hit could very well star a woman in the lead without needing a massive budget.