Zaira Wasim gave Bollywood its most Successful ‘Woman-Led’ Film

Over several decades, woman-led films have been at the centre of Indian cinema.

The terminology refers to movies that have strong female characters at the forefront who often lead the storyline.

Such cinema in Bollywood stretches back to the 1950s and 1960s when movies such as Mother India (1957) and Guide (1965) became classics.

However, who gave Bollywood its highest-grossing film that was woman-led?

The answer may surprise you in an era when heroines such as Kareena Kapoor Khan, Deepika Padukone, and Alia Bhatt are ruling the roost.

So far, the actress who starred in Bollywood’s most successful woman-led film is Zaira Wasim. 

In 2017, Zaira played Insia ‘Insu’ Malik in Secret Superstar. The film was directed by Advait Chandan.

It was produced by Aamir Khan, who also played Shakti Kumar in the movie.

The film narrated Insu’s story, which showed her desperately wanting to become a singer. 

To get noticed, she dons a burqa to conceal her identity and starts a YouTube channel that showcases her playing the guitar and singing her songs.

Insu must also work to free her mother, Najma (Meher Vij), from her abusive marriage that is plagued with domestic violence. 

Secret Superstar received widespread acclaim for its screenplay and Zaira’s performance.

With a budget of Rs 15 crores, the film earned Rs 64 crores in India.

However, it became a massive success when it was released in China. At the end of its run, the total collection was Rs. 905 crores. 

Users discussed the news on Reddit. One of them said:

“Plus, she had a National Award, Filmfare Award, and Presidential Award by the age of 16.

“It’s crazy to think that she is now 24 years old – the same as Suhana, Shanaya, and Khushi.

“None of them would have held a candle to her.”

Another wrote: “She was a breath of fresh air – a child actor who did absolute justice to her every role.”

The film did wonders for Zaira’s career, who had also previously starred in Dangal (2016).

For her role as the young version of Geeta Phogat, Zaira won a National Award.

While Dangal earned more than Secret Superstar, it could be argued that the film was an Aamir Khan vehicle and not strictly woman-led. 

After appearing in The Sky is Pink (2019), the actress shocked all when she announced her decision to quit acting.

This was due to her desire to focus on her religion.

In a lengthy statement, Zaira said: “I started to become the prime candidate of public attention.

“I was projected as the gospel of the idea of success and was often identified as a role model for the youth.

“However, that’s never something that I set out to do or become, especially with regards to my ideas of success and failure, which I had just started to explore and understand.”

“I want to confess that I am not truly happy with this identity, i.e., my line of work.

“As I had just started to explore and make sense of the things to which I dedicated my time, efforts and emotions and tried to grab hold of a new lifestyle, it was only for me to realise that though I may fit here perfectly, I do not belong here.”