Panel on women reshaping cinema language at BIFFes – On Tuesday, the Bengaluru International Film Festival hosted a session titled “How Women Directors are Changing the Language of Cinema,” moderated by actor‑filmmaker Sindhu Sreenivasa Murthy and featuring German director Jacqueline Roussety and Indian filmmaker Nidhi Saxena, to spotlight gender bias in film representation [1].
Roussety denounces the genius‑muse myth – The German actor‑theatre director argued that the industry glorifies male filmmakers as “geniuses” while relegating female artists to the role of muses, a theme she explored in her doctoral thesis on the classical genius‑muse relationship [1].
Saxena condemns objectification of women on screen – Citing Govind Nihalani’s Aakrosh as a rare example where a rape scene avoids sexualizing the victim, Saxena said women are often reduced to objects of desire; her own film Secrets of a Mountain Serpent (Venice 2025) portrays a teacher’s suppressed yearning in a 1990s Himalayan town [1].
Murthy’s debut film showcases supportive male characters – In Aachar & Co, a Kannada period drama set in 1960s Bengaluru, Murthy deliberately presented “soft and tender” men to offer an alternate reality rather than focusing solely on gender‑based problems [1].
Roussety highlights age disparity in male‑female pairings – She pointed out that action stars like Tom Cruise are routinely cast opposite much younger actresses, questioning why stories about women over 35 are scarce in mainstream cinema [1].
Audience praised producer Parvathamma Rajkumar’s legacy – A festival attendee noted that the dynamic producer, who financed more than 50 Kannada blockbusters, deserves recognition beyond being “Dr. Rajkumar’s wife,” urging more such victory stories in regional cinema [1].