Here is our pick of female producers and directors, expected to bring something new to the cinemascape this year

After a challenging two years, the film industry is once again dealing with the prospect of a possible third wave in 2022. However, given its intrinsic resilience, the industry is ticking along with many of its content creators all set to surprise the audiences with fresh themes. Here are some of the female producers and directors whose packed slates promise to bring something new to the cinemascape this year.

Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti: These two powerhouse creators have already established their production house Tiger Baby as a clutter-breaker and in 2022, they are all set to bring ‘The Archies’ on an OTT platform in a unique live-action musical adaptation. Set in 1960s India, this project is directed by Zoya and recalls the nostalgia and innocence of Archie comics. This is also Tiger Baby’s first solo project though the duo will continue to collaborate with Excel Entertainment on future projects like ‘Made in Heaven 2’, ‘Jee Le Zara’ (starring Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra and Alia Bhatt), ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahan’, and ‘Dahaad’ amongst others.

Deepshikha Deshmukh: Among the youngest female producers in the industry, Deepshikha who started her career with the critically acclaimed film ‘Sarbjit’ and even helmed big productions like ‘Bellbottom’ which was shot and released during the pandemic. 2022 promises to be a big year for her as well, with two biggies lined up for release. The much-awaited dystopian thriller, ‘Ganapath’ will be released on 23rd December 2022, and the yet-to-be-named ‘Production 41′ will also release this year. This dystopian action bonanza is headlined by Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon while their untitled’ Production 41′ starring Akshay Kumar. Deepshikha has set a strong foothold into the industry and her love for the environment has helped create greener film productions in India – she has also produced movies like Jawaani Janeman, Coolie No. 1 among others.

Taapsee Pannu: The actor who has starred in some of the most acclaimed films in recent times is now producing ‘Blurr’, a horror-thriller film directed by Ajay Bahl. This official Hindi remake of the Spanish film ‘Julia’s Eyes’ is jointly produced by Pannu’s Outsider Films along with Zee Studios and Echelon Productions. She also stars along with Gulshan Devaiah in this venture that promises to decisively announce her foray into the production of unapologetically women-led themes.

Meghna Gulzar: Often described as a maverick filmmaker, Meghna Gulzar is all set to return with another unforgettable story in 2022. This time, with the biopic ‘Sam Bahadur’ which is based on the life of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, one of India’s greatest war heroes, who served as the chief of the Indian Army in 1971 during the Bangladesh Liberation War. She wields the directorial baton for this epic story which will see Vicky Kaushal as Sam Bahadur along with Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra. After Raazi, Chhapaak, and Talvar, this is an entirely new genre for the director but she is expected to do full justice to it.

Charmme Kaur: In the post-pandemic world of borderless entertainment, the cross-pollination of talent continues across industries. The latest example is ‘Liger,’ a sports action film written and directed by Puri Jagannadh and produced by Karan Johar, Charmme Kaur, Apoorva Mehta, Hiroo Yash Johar, and Jagannadh under the banners of Dharma Productions and Puri Connects. Charmme is already well-established as an actor across Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada cinema and this is a decisive step for her in the world of high stakes, pan-Indian film production. To be shot simultaneously in Telugu and Hindi, the film stars Vijay Deverakonda and Ananya Panday in lead roles and is all set to release on 25 August 2022.