Matricentric Leadership: Vidya Balan and the Emergence of Alternative Leadership Style in Popular Hindi Cinema

Abstract

Vidya Balan has developed her brand of films by strategically choosing scripts to disrupt both the cinematic perception and the practice. This article argues that the Vidya Balan brand of films has been a prototype for an understated yet alternative leadership style which breaks the stereotype of portraying strong women with machismo and manliness to project them as bold and powerful. Balan has designed a consistent celebrity brand, yet distinguishable from her contemporaries. In the process, she has developed matricentric leadership. The article attempts to understand the matricentric leadership style in the context of popular Hindi cinema and how it corresponds to the larger societal context. A content analysis of Vidya Balan’s recent choice of films, her interviews, and her off-screen presence has revealed how she has succeeded in incepting an alternative leadership style. This style, inspired by a range of working mothers we see around us in our everyday lives, enables us to develop a deeper understanding of new-age women. It also adds to our knowledge about Hindi cinema’s changing trend in depicting more realistic women regarding body, looks and ability standards.