This 21-Year-Old Mumbaikar is Honouring Bold Female Movie Characters with Her Brilliant Artwork

Be it Shashi from English Vinglish, or Raani from Queen – there are many bold and strong female characters in revolutionary films that we come across these days. And Shivani Gorle, a 21-year-old resident of Mumbai has found an interesting way of appreciating them. With her beautiful illustrations posted on a Facebook page named Queens on Screen, Shivani is spreading an important message – “The idea behind Queens on Screen is that the heroine is just as badass as the hero. That she doesn’t need to talk, dress or behave in a particular way to win hearts. Or not win hearts. Because she can do whatever she wants.”

The idea was born when Shivani was browsing through Netflix and came across a category called ‘featuring a strong female lead’.

“I thought that it was sort of strange to ascribe a separate category for films with strong female leads when there could just be regular movies with equally important roles for both genders. The kind of movies I like watching have strong, bold characters that could be male or female. But I chose the female characters because I think that they need more recognition. We need to read more into those powerful dialogues and bold statements that actresses deliver in these movies,” she says

A graduate in mass media from KC College, Shivani specialises in advertising. Sketching, she says, gives her happiness. Until six months ago, she was sketching using her pen and pencil, but now she uses a drawing tablet and Adobe Illustrator to create these vector portraits.

“Female actors have come a long way since the 20th century. What may have been a sad state-of-affairs for gender equality in the film industry several decades ago, is now slowly adapting to a freer, more diverse and more equal world. With my work I hope to drive the perception that the movies we watch today are not just for entertainment; they have become real vehicles of social change,” she adds.

Have a look at her work here:

1. Silk, played by Vidya Balan in The Dirty Picture (2011): Dedicated to the bold, relentless and unapologetic Qandeel Baloch.

2. Rose, played by Kate Winslet in Titanic (1997)

3. Rani, played by Kangana Ranaut in Queen (2013)

4. Joy, played by Jennifer Lawrence in Joy (2015)

5. Nina, played by Natalie Portman in Black Swan (2010)

6. Kumari, played by Alia Bhatt in Udta Punjab (2016)

7. Hermoine, played by Emma Watson in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2011)

8. Geet, played by Kareena Kapoor in Jab We Met (2007)

9. Juno, played by Ellen Page in Juno (2007)

10. Jess, played by Parminder Nagra in Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

11. Sacha, played by Rachel McAdams in Spotlight (2015)

12. Shashi, played by Sridevi in English Vinglish (2012)

13. Miranda, played by Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

14. Mastani, played by Deepika Padukone in Bajirao Mastani (2015)

15. Shosanna, played by Mélanie Laurent in Inglourious Basterds (2009)

16. Aibileen, played by Viola Davis in The Help (2011)

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