Powered by the lusty heroics of Shah Rukh Khan (Pathaan and Jawan), Sunny Deol (Gadar 2) and Ranbir Kapoor (Animal), with Ranveer Singh (Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani), Vicky Kaushal (SamBahadur), Ayushmann Khurrana (Dream Girl 2) and Kartik Aaryan (Satyaprem Ki Katha) as B-team players, there’s been a strong feeling that 2023 has washed away the relevance of women from the entertainment stage.

But there have been a handful of names that have valiantly soldiered on. True, actresses like Vidya Balan, Kangana Ranaut and Taapsee Pannu came off weakly with Neeyat for Vidya, Tiku Weds Sheru (as producer), Chandramukhi 2 and Tejas for Kangana, and a feeble Dunki for Taapsee. These films were noisy failures as all three were known for women-centric cinema.

There have also been quiet feminine triumphs that haven’t got their due attention. Give it to Ektaa Kapoor, who produced Dream Girl 2 in which she was also creatively invested. Besides hosting the preview of the trailer on her terrace and holding the fort without any star presence, she watched her investment of Rs 35 crore yield more than Rs 140 crore. She was also the first Indian to bag the International Emmy Directorate Award in New York, topping it with a well-delivered acceptance speech. But Ektaa hasn’t thumped the table and announced what a victorious year it has been for her.

Meghna Gulzar handled the box office face-off between a beast (Animal) and a gentleman (SamBahadur) with stoic dignity. With Animal stomping all over, bagging all the prime shows, Sam had it tougher. One had controversy, chauvinism and crass appeal, the other had elitist class marked on the packaging. But the biopic on India’s first field marshal stood up to brutal assault and fetched more than double its investment of Rs 55 crore only from theatrical collections. Sam would’ve got more of the spotlight and made more money if it had been a solo release. But not even an “ouch” from Meghna when Animal bruised Sam’s earnings. There was none of the bad blood that one had seen when say, Om Shanti Om and Saawariya or Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Son Of Sardaar had clashed. Sam behaved like the gentleman he was and walked away head held high. In fact, Ranbir will probably team up with Meghna one of these days since both are so proficient at their respective jobs. So this one’s for Meghna, who hasn’t shouted from the rooftops that Sam fared well once again on the battlefield.

One cannot also underestimate how much the oomphy presence of Deepika Padukone bolstered the commercial attractiveness of Pathaan and Jawan.

It was a stable period for Ananya Panday too. She bought her own apartment in the pricey suburb of Bandra and was a part of the successful Dream Girl 2, proving that she could pull off more than just the perfect red-carpet moment.

Sonakshi Sinha also had a rather good time when Dahaad, the web series in which she played a no-nonsense policewoman, was much applauded. Producers Zoya Akhtar, her business and creative collaborator Reema Kagti and co-director Ruchika Oberoi may take a bow too.

However, whatever the opinion on the commercial relevance of women in cinema, it would be prudent to accept that it was testosterone that majorly drove the box office in 2023. Selling Pathaan, Gadar and Animal required the mass magnetism of its male salesmen, making it tempting to conclude that the overwhelming money generated by the boys this year throws gender parity discussions out of the window. But along comes Dunki and SRK ends a boisterous year with a whimper. The only conclusion: everybody’s fallible, gender has little to do with it.

Bharathi S. Pradhan is a senior journalist and author