Filmmakers Jacqueline Roussety and Nidhi Saxena at the Bengaluru International Film Festival in Bengaluru on Tuesday. | Photo credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN
How often do we see close-ups of men’s lips in movies around the world? Very rarely, according to the study. However, close-up shots of female body parts are the norm. It is this dual approach to film that concerns filmmakers Jacqueline Roussetta and Nidhi Saxena.
The duo was at the Bengaluru International Film Festival on Tuesday and shared their thoughts on ‘How Women Directors Are Changing the Language of Cinema’. Hosted by actor-filmmaker Sindhu Sreenivasa Murthy, the meeting highlighted the importance of women breaking the glass ceiling in the film industry.
Genius and muse
Jacqueline, a German actor and theater director, criticized how the film industry views male filmmakers as geniuses and female artists as their muses. Her doctoral thesis focused on depicting the classic relationship between genius and muse.
Ms. Saxena wondered why women were not the voice of the story and were reduced to mere objects of desire. “In Govind Nihalani’s Aakrosh, the rape scene doesn’t show the skin. The focus is not on the woman’s body. It shows the place where the heinous act takes place and yet you feel uncomfortable. That’s real filmmaking that doesn’t seduce people with the look of the camera,” she said.
Ms. Saxena’s The Secret of the Mountain Serpent premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2025. Set in a Himalayan town in the 1990s, the film explores a woman’s desire. It tells the story of a teacher whose husband is on the border. Her long-buried desire is awakened when she is drawn to a mysterious outsider.
Ms. Murthy, who made her directorial debut with the Kannada period film Aachar & Co, delved into the thought process of the male characters in the film.
Men who support
“I showed men who support women. I wanted to say that the world has soft and gentle men. Sometimes instead of focusing only on the problem, we have to show an alternative reality.” Set against the backdrop of 1960s Bengaluru, Aachar & Co tells the story of a traditional family that faces the challenges of adapting to changing times.
Ms. Roussety also pointed out how male characters are portrayed as physically strong, regardless of their age, while female characters are not. “On Mission Impossible, Tom Cruise does incredible stunts, and that’s fine. But he’s paired with an actress half his age. It’s a disturbing trend. Why are we seeing young women next to men in their 40s and 50s? Where are the stories of women over 35?”
Ms. Saxena felt that women directors should be seen as capable of making engaging mainstream films and should not be labeled as “documentarians”. “That’s why the success of Zoya Akhtar and Kiran Rao is huge,” she said.
Ace producer
The discussion also recognized the stupendous success of Parvathamma Rajkumar, a dynamic producer who has bankrolled over 50 Kannada blockbusters in the industry. “I first knew her as Dr. Rajkumar’s wife. But after learning about her career, I feel inspired. We need more such winning stories in Kannada cinema,” said an audience member.
Published – 03 Feb 2026 23:16 IST
