When it comes to female representation in Indian films, the ratio is still skewed and playing catch up. Recently, Prime Video, one of the online entertainment destinations in India, released the latest edition of O Womaniya! 2024, a definitive study on female representation in Indian entertainment.
This year, the report analysed a total of 169 movies and series, which were released in 2023 in nine languages across streaming and theatrical platforms.
The report was researched and curated by Ormax Media, a media consulting firm, and produced by Film Companion Studios. Championed by Prime Videos, the report takes a deep dive into the emerging trends while identifying the gaps in female representation across several key areas of production, marketing, and corporate leadership in Indian entertainment.
Some of the key findings of the report were finalised using a new test, Gender Equality Toolkit. This toolkit helps measure female representation in content and eliminate biases early on in the creation process. Mainly, the test analyses whether women have agency in a movie or if they're the drivers of their own stories or mere accessories to driving the male point of view in the entire storytelling.
In the marketing analysis, it was revealed that women still hold only 29% of talk time in trailers. Though over the two years, it has increased, the growth continues to be marginal as per the report. Of all the titles, only 31% passed the Gender Equality Toolkit test, with streaming series taking the lead with 45% passing the test. The report deployed the traditional Bechdel Test to analyse content, half of which fell short on this test as well.
British-Bangladeshi prop maker Anika Chowdhury has designed a handcrafted glow-in-the-dark chess set celebrating heritage and identity.
The limited-edition set, called Glowborne, launches on Kickstarter in October.
Each piece draws from South Asian, Middle Eastern, and African cultural references, re-rooting chess in its origins.
The project blends art, storytelling, and representation, aiming to spark conversations about identity in play.
Reimagining chess through heritage
When Anika Chowdhury sat down to sculpt her first chess piece, she had a bigger vision than simply redesigning a classic game. A British-Bangladeshi prop maker working in the film industry, she grew up loving fantasy and games but rarely saw faces like hers in Western storytelling.
“Chess originated in India, travelled through Arabia and North Africa, and was later Westernised,” she explains. “I wanted to bring those forgotten origins back to the board.”
The result is Glowborne — a limited-edition, glow-in-the-dark fantasy chess set that blends craft, identity and cultural pride.
Anika Chowdhury says she has many ideas to further fuse craft and culture in future projects Glowborne
Crafting Glowborne
Each character in the set has been carefully designed to reflect cultural narratives: Bengali kings and pawns, Indian bishops with bindis, Arab knights, and African queens. Chowdhury sculpted each piece by hand, drawing on her prop-making training at the National Film and Television School.
Once sculpted, the pieces were cast in resin, painted, and finished with South Asian-inspired motifs filled with glow-in-the-dark pigment. “The characters glow both literally and metaphorically,” she says, “as a chance for them to take the stage.”
Cultural pride and visibility
For Chowdhury, the project is about more than gameplay. “Fantasy doesn’t need to fit into the Western mould to tell a great story,” she says. “South Asian, Middle Eastern and African stories are just as powerful, and they can transform something as traditional as chess by reconnecting it with its roots.”
She hopes Glowborne will resonate with South Asian and Eastern African communities as a celebration of identity and belonging. At the same time, she sees it as a bridge for wider audiences — chess enthusiasts, collectors, and design lovers who appreciate craftsmanship and storytelling.
A personal journey
Chowdhury’s career in film and prop-making has influenced her creative process, but Glowborne marks her first independent project. She created it outside her film work, after hours and on weekends.
“At 28, I finally feel like I’ve found my voice,” she reflects. “For a long time I felt pressure to hide my identity, but now I see my culture as a superpower. This project is about using art to express that.”
Looking ahead
Launching this October on Kickstarter as a collector’s edition, Glowborne is only the beginning. Chowdhury says she has many ideas to further fuse craft and culture in future projects. “This is the proof of concept,” she says. “I can’t wait to create more stories that blend heritage, art and play.”
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THE current debate about whether the imperial statue of Robert Clive should be removed from outside the Foreign Office in London once again reinforces the need to include British colonial history in the school syllabus.
The older generation were brought up to believe that the British empire was, on the whole, a civilising force for good, but younger people today take a much more jaundiced view of the way in large parts of the world – especially India, “the jewel in the crown” – were plundered and drained of their wealth.
After Winston Churchill, who is accused of aggravating the effects of the 1943 Bengal Famine in which two-three million Indians perished, the most controversial figure is probably Clive (1725- 1774), whose conquests were crucial in consolidating British rule in India. He is usually referred to as “Clive of India”.
His bronze statue outside the Foreign Office, by the sculptor John Tweed, was not erected until 1912. It shows him in formal dress with one hand resting on the pommel of his sword, the other clutching papers. The inscription on the statue’s pedestal declares him simply as “Clive”.
The latest debate has been provoked by the Labour peer Baroness Debbonaire, who would have been culture secretary had she not lost the newly created Bristol Central seat in last year’s general election to the Lib Dems. As the MP for Bristol West, she had supported the removal of the statue of the slave trader Edward Colston in 2018 – this was pulled down during the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in 2020.
Thangam Elizabeth Rachel Debbonaire (née Singh) was born on August 3, 1966, in Peterborough to a father of Indian and Sri Lankan Tamil origin and an English mother.
Speaking at the Edinburgh International Book Festival earlier this month, she said that Clive’s statue “continues to promote him in a victorious mode and as a symbol of something that had universal good. I don’t think it’s helpful for any visitor to the Foreign Office, particularly those of us from Indian origins in the diaspora, but also visiting Indian people, Indian dignitaries, ambassadors, trade ministers, to walk into the Foreign Office past that statue. I don’t think that presents Britain in a particularly good light in the 21st century.
Baroness Debbonaire
“What it doesn’t do is contextualise or indeed give any honesty about what his presence in India actually did. He extracted a vast fortune. His former home, Powis Castle in Wales, contains hundreds if not thousands of objects that he took.”
She added: “Before colonial rule, India was a very developed country. It understood free trade, it was trading with its neighbours – something the East India Company and the other colonising forces successfully crushed. Since independence, India has grown economically, scientifically, in engineering terms, in computing terms, artistic, and so on.”
There were some predictably hostile responses.
Andrew Rosindell, Conservative MP for Romford, said: “I condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the calls from Baroness Debbonaire to remove the historic Clive of India statue – an essential part of the architectural landscape outside the Foreign Office. Not least, it would smear the name of a war hero who not only secured British influence in India against French ambitions, but expanded it, laying the foundations for the unification of an Indian state. I stand, alongside patriotic societies like the Royal Society of St. George, in opposing this needless selfflagellating whitewashing of history, and defending our proud British heritage.”
GB News interviewed James WindsorClive, who is said to be Clive’s “greatgreat-great-great-great-great-grandson” who suggested “a debate on giving the statue context with a plaque rather than removing it.” He made the point that it was “unfair to judge an 18th-century soldier-statesman by 21st-century morals”.
Clive is blamed for the 10 million death toll during the Bengal Famine of 1770, when, as governor of the region, he i mp o s e d punishing taxation and land reforms.
But Windsor-Clive, 35, argued: “I don’t think we can airbrush our history as simply as that. We’ve got a proud tradition and history and heritage, and we shouldn’t be looking to hide it. I personally think that Robert Clive helped make Britain a global power. We shouldn’t apologise for our history, but we should learn from it and be proud of what we achieved during that period.”
GB News did not interview another of Clive’s descendants, John Herbert, the eighth Earl of Powis, who takes a rather more critical view of his ancestor.
He was interviewed in 2021 by the writer Sathnam Sanghera for a Channel 4 programme, Empire State of Mind, and expressed reservations about the statue of Clive that was erected in his hometown of Shrewsbury. The local council in Shropshire decided to keep the statue following a debate triggered by the Black Lives Matter protests.
Standing by the statue, Herbert said: “There was very much a request to bring it down and there were quite strong feelings. The council resolved in the end to keep it, but put a plaque on it that will tell us more. I have often wondered if it ought to come down. It’s very imperial and I’ve never been very comfortable with it. I have always wished it wasn’t here, put it that way.”
In 2020, Haberdashers’ Adams school in Newport, Shropshire, dropped “Clive” as the name of one of its houses because he had “played such a leading role in the ill-treatment of Indians and in the expropriation of Indian assets in his time as a British military leader and governor of Bengal”.
The historian William Dalrymple, author of The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East IndiaCompany, is among those who support the “Clive must fall” movement: “Bengal’s wealth rapidly drained into Britain, while its prosperous weavers and artisans were coerced ‘like so many slaves’ by their new masters, and its markets flooded with British products. A proportion of the loot of Bengal went directly into Clive’s pocket.”
The eminent author Nirad C Chaudhuri published a biography, Clive of India, in 1975, which was even handed in assessing the man projected as “the greatest figure in the history of British India”.
The statue of Clive of India outside the Foreign Office entrance
He concluded that “the only legitimate interpretation (of history) is the historical one. In respect of Clive and the rise of the British Empire in India, I have tried to give that. With that I shall leave the account given in the book to take care of itself.”
It does say that “corruption and looting saw Clive amass a huge amount of wealth and he returned to Britain in 1760, aged 34” and that he later “defended himself in Parliament, saying, ‘By God, at this moment, do I stand astonished at my own moderation!’, and in 1773 Parliament declared that he did ‘render great and meritorious services to his country’.
” His “moderation” is reflected in the 1,000 artefacts dating from 1,600 to the 1830s displayed in the Billiard Room turned into the Clive Museum cum South Asian gallery at Powis Castle. The National Trust intends displaying the contents in a “culturally sensitive way”.
The old British view of colonial rule is reflected in a large portrait of Clive dominating a mantelpiece lined with the statutes of such Hindu deities as Vishnu, Krishna, Ganesh and Hanuman – “minor Gods,” according to a helpful volunteer.
Money did not buy Clive peace of mind. He allegedly cut his own throat with a penknife at his London house in Berkeley Square on November 22, 1774 and was hastily buried in St Margaret’s Church, Moreton Say, in Shropshire.
The Shri Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Mandir in East London marked two major milestones this month with a week-long festival that drew more than 8,000 devotees and community members.
The celebrations, held from 10 to 17 August at Swaminarayan Sports World in Wanstead, coincided with the 38th Patotsav of the temple and the 23rd Patotsav of the installation of Shri Ghanshyam Maharaj. The event, named Manthan Mahotsav 2025, was held under the patronage of Pujya Acharya Shri Kaushalendra Prasadji Maharaj and S.G. Mahant Swami Shri Dharmanandandasji.
Dignitaries including Deputy Mahant Shri Bhagwatjivandasji Swami, Pujya Kothari Parshad Shri Jadavji Bhagat, Harrow Mayor Anjana Patel, councillors from Newham, Redbridge, Epping and Harrow, Professor Kishan Devani BEM, and members of the Shri Swaminarayan Gadi Parivar UK attended the occasion.
A highlight of the festival was the recitation of the ‘Vasudev Mahatmya Katha’ by saints of Bhuj Mandir. Revered within the Swaminarayan tradition, the text was being recited in the UK for the first time. The Katha began on 11 August and concluded with the Mahabhishek on the final day, inspiring devotees with messages of faith, unity, and service.
India’s Independence Day was also observed on 15 August with a flag-hoisting ceremony, the singing of the national anthem, and prasad distribution.
Alongside spiritual activities, the festival celebrated culture, education, and youth engagement. Students from the temple’s Gujarati school were honoured for outstanding results, including GCSE achievements in Gujarati. The youth wing organised a games night for children and teenagers, while a cultural evening featured traditional dances, plays, and devotional performances.
Temple leaders and saints reflected on its 38-year journey, emphasising values of love, respect, unity, and collective growth. Inspired by the symbolism of Samudra Manthan and this year’s Mahakumbh, the Manthan Mahotsav reinforced the Swaminarayan ethos of contemplation, harmony, and shared devotion.
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Born in 1864 in Visakhapatnam, Annie began medical studies at Madras Medical College, one of the few institutions in India then open to women.
DR ANNIE WARDLAW JAGANNADHAM was the first Indian woman to gain a medical degree at a British university and have her name added to the UK medical register in 1890.
Her story has been revisited by the General Medical Council (GMC) as part of South Asian Heritage Month. Tista Chakravarty-Gannon, from the GMC Outreach team, explored her life with support from GMC archivist Courtney Brucato.
Chakravarty-Gannon wrote in a blog, “In my role at the GMC much of my work is focused on supporting international doctors, and on anti-racism. It’s work that lies close to my heart. My father was born in India but emigrated to the UK in the 1960s.”
She added, “If you wind the clock back even further, it must have been even harder to make that journey and assimilate into a not particularly diverse society and profession. Unsurprisingly, in the late 19th century doctors were almost all male and white. It was going to take some remarkable women to turn that tide. I’ve been lucky enough to spend time talking to our archivist, Courtney Brucato, about one such woman – Annie Jagannadham.”
Early years Born in 1864 in Visakhapatnam, Annie was the daughter of Christian missionary parents. At 20, she began medical studies at Madras Medical College, one of the few institutions in India then open to women.
She studied practical midwifery under Dr Arthur Mudge Branfoot, who had spoken about the “folly and inadvisability of educating women as doctors.”
Barriers and opportunities Indian medical qualifications were not fully recognised under the colonial system. For women, studying abroad was often the only route to legitimacy.
In 1888, Annie received a scholarship from the Countess of Dufferin Fund to study at the Edinburgh Medical School for Women. The Fund, set up under Queen Victoria, aimed to improve women’s health in India through scholarships and support for health infrastructure.
She studied for the conjoint medical and surgical qualification of the three Scottish Colleges, known as the “Scottish Triple” or “TQ”.
Academic success Annie graduated with special credit, worked as a demonstrator of anatomy at Surgeons’ Hall, and achieved top marks in several examinations. On 2 May 1890, she was granted registration with the General Medical Council.
She then worked as a house officer at the Edinburgh Hospital for Women and Children under Dr Sophia Jex-Blake, who described her as of “fine and finished character.” Annie gained experience in obstetrics and gynaecology and was made a Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, and the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.
Return to India In 1892, Annie returned to India as a House Surgeon at Cama Hospital in Bombay (now Mumbai), under Dr Edith Pechey, one of the Edinburgh Seven who had campaigned for women’s right to study medicine.
Early death Two years later, Annie contracted tuberculosis. She returned to her family in Visakhapatnam and died in 1894 at the age of 30.
The Chronicle of the London Missionary Society published an obituary, noting, “it is to be feared that the early death, which those who knew her now mourn so deeply, was largely due to her self-denying labours on behalf of the sufferers in the hospital.” It added, “though the course [of her life] has been short, it has been useful and bright,” praising her independence, modesty, and “unostentatious service.”
Legacy On the 1891 medical register, Annie was one of 129 female doctors compared to more than 29,000 men. This year, for the first time, there are more female than male doctors practising in the UK, and more ethnic minority doctors than white doctors.
Chakravarty-Gannon wrote, “It’s important to remember that to be listed on the medical register, Annie was required to step outside the Indian system, navigate another culture away from her friends and family, and prove herself all over again – because her original education wasn’t recognised in a colonial hierarchy.”
“Dr Jagannadham may not be a household name, but her courage and determination helped carve out a path that many generations have since followed. Her story is a powerful reminder of how far we’ve come – and how important it is to keep moving forward.”
South Asian Heritage Month runs from 18 July to 17 August each year, commemorating and celebrating South Asian cultures, histories, and communities.
The community came together to honour two of its stalwarts, Dr Vinodbhai Kapashi OBE and his wife, Sudhaben Kapashi, at an emotional Thanks-Giving Party organised by their three daughters.
Attended by family, friends, dignitaries, and community leaders, the gathering was a living tribute to a couple whose lives have been devoted to public service, cultural enrichment, literature, Jainism, and the unifying spirit of community.
In an emotionally charged address, Dr Kapashi expressed his heartfelt wish to witness the community’s affection during his lifetime. “I just wanted to see, while alive, how people are connected to me and what they think of me,” he said, before evoking the poignant song, “Kal khel mein hum ho na ho, gardish mein taare rahenge sada” — a reminder that while individuals may pass on, their values and contributions continue to shine for generations.
Sudhaben, visibly moved by the overwhelming warmth, reflected on their lifelong journey and the promise of the future: “Hum laye hain tufan se kishti nikal ke… Now we can say that Jain religion will flourish more and more, seeing the association of the young generation.”
Throughout the morning, tributes poured in from prominent community leaders, including Nemubhai Chandaria OBE, Jaysukhbhai Mehta BEM, Dr Mehool Sanghrajka MBE, Rumitbhai Shah, and Nirajbhai Sutaria. A video message from India by Dr Kumarpal Desai added to the heartfelt honours. Speakers described Dr Kapashi as “a real scholar, a true gentleman, and an encyclopedia of Jainism and Sanatan Dharma,” commending his tireless work to promote and preserve Jain values not only within the Jain community but for the benefit of all.
Adding a deeply personal dimension to the day, the couple’s daughters- Raxita, Punny, and Neha, along with their five grandchildren, shared treasured memories that revealed the humility and humanity behind the couple’s public achievements. Family members Alka Shah and Purvi Shah also offered moving recollections.
The programme blended touching narration with photographs, theme songs & dance, along with lovingly prepared collage by the Ladies Wing, casting a golden glow over the celebration.