About
The Bechdel Test was developed by Alison Bechdel in 1985.
Initially a part of Alison's comic strip, the Bechdel Test has emerged as a powerful measure of women's representation in cinema.
The test asks if a film features at least two named female characters, who talk to each other, and the conversation is not about a man.
The Indian Bechdel Test is a non-comprehensive list of Indian films which pass or fail the Bechdel test.
We are trying to add as many Indian films as possible.
However, we do not claim to have every film in this list.
Therefore, we need your help, dear reader, in keeping this list up-to-date.
The Indian Bechdel Test welcomes all requests and reviews. If you would like to add a movie, please visit the Add page.
If you believe a film has been incorrectly labelled as either pass or fail, or if you would like to add additional context about an existing film,
please visit the Discuss page.
After raising an add or a discuss request, please give us some time to review it and get back to you.
Criticism
The Bechdel Test is not the sole criterion for measuring women's representation in Indian cinema. There are significant outliers. For example, "Kahaani" may not pass The Bechdel Test in the strictest sense due to the lack of multiple named women characters as well as the story itself. However, it features a strong woman character in the lead and explores womanhood and motherhood in the bustling city of Kolkata. Kahaani is considered a milestone film in the history of women centric stories in Hindi cinema.