Overview

• Filmfare’s July 9 feature profiles six key heroines—from Maria’s redemptive faith in Jaal (1952) to Jabba’s modern outlook in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962)—as central moral and narrative forces.
• India Today’s visual story expands the lineup to seven characters, including Leena’s survival instincts in a gambling underworld and Nisha’s defiance as a freedom-struggle fighter.
• Gulabo and Meena in Pyaasa (1957) are highlighted for embodying empathy toward a scorned poet and the pragmatic sacrifices women made under patriarchal pressures.
• Shanti’s silent withdrawal in Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) is presented as an act of strength equal to her male counterpart’s, while Chhoti Bahu’s tragic dignity underscores the cost of unspoken desires.
• Critics agree these layered portrayals granted Guru Dutt’s women agency and psychological depth, offering subtle commentary on mid-20th-century gender and social norms.