In recent years, the industry has also become a battleground for gender politics and social reform. The emergence of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) in 2017 marked a historic shift, challenging deep-seated patriarchy within the industry. This off-screen evolution parallels an on-screen shift, where contemporary filmmakers are dismantling toxic masculinity and centering narratives around resilient, multi-dimensional female characters in films like The Great Indian Kitchen (2021) and Kumbalangi Nights (2019). The New Wave and Global Recognition