Back when women’s rights were not as widely recognised in society, actors such as Amitabh Bachchan built entire careers out of toxic masculinity (read: The Angry Young Man persona). Bollywood’s scriptwriters wrote hero-centric movies that rarely gave heroines much by way of character development. Women either existed as obedient wives, submissive lovers, or chaste mothers.

Padmavat, a tale of a mythical queen featuring love, honour, and sacrifice, has captured the imagination of readers and audiences for centuries.