New Delhi: Team Crew is flying high, as the heist comedy lead by Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kriti Sanon  has sent the cash registers ringing. The movie has collected  100 crores plus in sales, and has registered the third biggest weekend box office collection of the year among Bollywood movies.

Lead by three top female stars, the movie’s success has been reason enough to celebrate. “It’s remarkable how a woman lead narrative has been doing brisk business at the theatres.It is heartening for the industry as well as the exhibitor that the box office is no longer dictated by the larger than life hero and the Alpha male characters we have seen lately,” says a film distributor.

Kareena Kapoor Khan shared her excitement saying, “We have seen all our heroes take centre stage doing a road trip or a heist movie, but to have girls do it and the world watches and laud it, trust me, it is just a different feeling.”

The Yami Gautam and Priyamani starrer the political thriller “Article 370”, grossed 80 crores at the box office. 

“This is what women’s empowerment is, it is not about what I wish to do or this is my right, but it is when someone is trusting you with this kind of responsibility. This was my first kind of solo theatrical release, it was not only challenging for me to set out of  my comfort zone,but for the director and producer too, who took a huge risk as well and didn’t go formulaic and get dictated by commercials. At the end of the day its a business, but its instilled faith in me and given me confidence”, says Yami Gautam. 

Kiran Rao’s satirical “Laapata Ladies” which came with a strong word of mouth made 20 crores, an heartening nod for a mid budget film lead by a fairly unknown cast, proving that that the tide was taking a turn. “Every story demands a kind of casting. I  just thought having an entirely new cast for Lapataa Ladies made it fresh or authentic.”

In the past we have seen successes of several female lead narratives like Fashion, Dirty Picture, Queen, Tanu Weds Manu, Piku, Kahani, but they have been few and far between.Their collections often compared to the ones helmed by the so called male stars, were unfair. Many female actors revealed that a hero’s remuneration for one film was all that was required to make a film lead by a woman. That apart a female centric film often made exhibitors weary, and the scramble for screens and show was carefully mapped.

The roaring success of Alia Bhatt’s Gangubai Kathiawadi was a turning point. The film a whopping commercial hit grossed 210 crores at the box office, came at a time as theatres struggled to get back on their feet. 

Trade Analyst Sumit Kadel says “Women centric films do well, if it’s entertaining, has a strong star cast, engaging trailer and a good production house. Fashion was a hit  in its time. Article 370 had a hard hitting narrative and Crew had a super star cast and production, so there was no reason for it to not fare well”. 

“I feel today it’s not about hero or heroine, it’s about the content that connects. It’s indeed an interesting time for all actors who are passionate”, said Kareena Kapoor Khan to a portal.

Its indeed true as the lines get blurred its the story thats emerged as the winner.