New Delhi, Oct. 22 -- Female-led films are making their presence felt at the box office in 2026, with 'Amazon MGM Studios' and Colour Yellow's 'Nayyi Navelli' adding to the conversation after crossing a phenomenal total of Rs 25.2 crore GBOC worldwide. Headlined by Yami Gautam Dhar, the fantasy family entertainer has been drawing audiences to theatres for a fun time at the movies, with packed cinemas adding to the film's growing theatrical momentum. The big-screen blockbuster puts a female protagonist at the centre of a distinctly desi, larger-than-life story, showing how an unconventional character can find her audience. Its performance comes amid a diverse slate of women-led stories spanning action, crime, comedy and drama, with filmmakers exploring different genres and theatrical experiences.
The year has seen female protagonists take on a range of roles on the big screen, from Alia Bhatt and Sharvari's action-driven outing 'Alpha' to Kareena Kapoor Khan's crime thriller 'Daayra'. These films follow in the footsteps of titles such as 'Crew', 'Laapataa Ladies', 'Raazi' and 'Mardaani', which have placed women at the centre of stories ranging from heist comedy and social satire to espionage and action. Rather than following one formula, female-led films are finding room across genres, with the characters and worlds they inhabit proving just as varied as the stories themselves.
The trend extends to streaming as well, where titles such as Prime Video's 'Dahaad' and 'System', alongside SonyLIV's 'Maharani', have explored women navigating crime, power and high-stakes situations. Whether it is the scale of an action thriller, the humour of a heist comedy or the spectacle of a fantasy entertainer, the variety of these stories makes the female-led space an increasingly interesting one to watch, without tying it to a single genre or storytelling template.
'Nayyi Navelli' brings its own flavour to this mix. With Yami Gautam Dhar playing Mohini in a never-before-seen avatar, the film places its leading lady at the heart of the eccentric Awasthi parivaar, where family drama, folklore, mystery, comedy and action come together. Rather than a conventional dramatic role, Mohini is a character whose unusual persona and unpredictable choices drive the film's fantastical world. The result is a female-led story that leans into full-on family entertainment, with a distinctly Indian sensibility and a festive big-screen appeal.
Ultimately, 'Nayyi Navelli' makes for a distinct story, adding to the growing mix of female-led films making their way to audiences. With its box-office milestone, the film turns the conversation upside down about what gets audiences into theatres. 'Nayyi Navelli' proves that the question has moved on from whether a woman can carry a film to what she will carry next: a heist, a spy mission, a fantasy entertainer or a big-screen experience that makes for a proper theatrical outing for all age groups!
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.