From Naam Shabana to Tejas: 6 movies that portray heroines in action-powered roles

Over the history of Indian cinema, we have witnessed the power-packed performance of action heroes. They have managed to gather the love and attention of the audience time and again. However, our heroines are no less. Apart from being the delicate darlings of our heroes, they have managed to surprise our fans with action-powered performances in certain films.

Here are some of the films that portray women in action roles:

1. Naam Shabana

Taapsee Pannu appears in the role of Shabana Khan, who ends up working as a proficient field agent after joining a secret agency. She starts working with two Indian agents working under Ranvir Singh chasing an international arms dealer named Mikhail. The movie starred Manoj Bajpayee, Akshay Kumar, Prithviraj Sukumaran in pivotal roles. Directed by Shivam Nair, the movie released in 2017.

2. NH10

An action thriller, the movie features Anushka Sharma, Neil Bhoopalam, Darshan Kumar, and Deepti Naval in pivotal roles. Anushka Sharma stood out in the movie owing to her powered performance. Her vengeance against her husband’s killers was pure from start to the end. The movie showcased a glorious rampage, destructing an entire gang with the help of a rod, a Scorpio, and her extraordinary wits. The movie was directed by Navdeep Singh and was released in 2015.

3. Mardaani

This action thriller made a mark in Bollywood cinema. Actress Rani Mukherji played the role Shivani Shivaji Roy, a police officer gets the case of a kidnapped teenage girl which leads her to uncover human trafficking by the Indian mafia. The movie also starred actors like Jisshu Sengupta, Tahir Raj Bhasin, and Saanand Verma in supporting roles. Directed by Pradeep Sarkar and produced by Aditya Chopra, the movie was released in 2014.

4. Akira

The film is a remake of the 2011 Tamil film ‘Mouna Guru.’ Released in 2016, the movie featured Sonakshi Sinha who portrayed the role of a battle-hardened young woman named Akira who underwent a tragic fate. Being a self-sufficient woman who resides in Mumbai for her college becomes the target of four corrupt cops and fights to prove her innocence. The movie also featured Konkona Sen Sharma and Anurag Kashyap. 

5. Dhaakad

This action movie will premiere on-screen on April 8, 2022. Directed by Razneesh Razy Ghai, the movie will feature Kangana Ranaut, Arjun Rampal, and Divya Dutta in pivotal roles. Besides, Kangana will be seen in an entirely different character playing the role of a fierce and tough international spy.

6. Tejas

The upcoming movie will narrate the story of a fearless fighter pilot. It will focus on the 2016 Indian Air Force historic event where the country’s first defence force inducted women into combat roles. The film will portray some of the most difficult combat missions that IAF forces carried out to keep our country safe. The movie stars Kangana Ranaut in the lead.