From Heroines to Anti-Heroes: How The OTT Is Rewriting Women On Screen

She lights a cigarette after a crime, the smoke curling around her like a silent rebellion. She hides secrets from her family, not out of shame, but because they are hers to guard. She breaks the rules and doesn’t apologise for it. This isn’t your typical Bollywood heroine; it’s the new face of women on OTT, where flawed and complex female anti-heroes are taking the lead.

Why this shift?

OTT platforms have reshaped storytelling by moving beyond the pressure of big screen. Unlike the Bollywood heroines of the past, women on streaming shows aren’t expected to look or behave like perfect role models. They’re allowed to be messy, contradictory, and morally grey, just like real people are. And with that freedom, writers can finally imagine women in all their complexity, not only as victims or saviours, but also as rebels, survivors, schemers, and even perpetrators.

Complex Women, Not Perfect Role Models

Shefali Shah’s Vartika Chaturvedi in Delhi Crime isn’t your usual on-screen cop. She can be gentle and approachable, but when the situation demands, she becomes firm and commanding. Vulnerability shows through her, and so does authority. What makes her compelling is that she’s never painted as spotless; many of her choices balance uneasily between the law and her own sense of justice.

Sushmita Sen’s Aarya takes a different route. She starts out as a widow trying to protect her family, only to be dragged into her husband’s criminal web. As things unfold, she doesn’t just survive it; she learns to play the game, sharp and calculating in ways no one expects.

In Kohrra, women aren’t side characters; they bring their own secrets, desires, and choices, which add depth and complexity to the story. In Made in Heaven, Tara (Sobhita Dhulipala) is ambitious and sometimes manipulative, unapologetically pursuing what she believes she deserves, often walking the fine line between ambition and betrayal.

Big-budget films usually follow box office pressure, but OTT platforms reach niche audiences who look for deeper, more layered stories. This freedom allows women to be written as more than stereotypes, which is why complex female characters are flourishing on streaming shows, while cinema still relies on safer portrayals.

Beyond ‘Inspirational’ Heroines

For years, female characters were expected to be "inspirational", the idea being that their struggles made them admirable. Now, the audience wants something different: characters who feel real. The anti-hero reflects that change. She breaks rules and bends the truth, motivated by survival, personal ambition, or revenge .The goal isn’t to make us like her, but to make us understand her. 

This shift mirrors real-life changes. Women aren’t limited to the old rules anymore. They want to be ambitious, angry, imperfect, and independent. OTT platforms are giving them space, showing characters who can be complex, messy, ambitious, layered, and unapologetically themselves.

People still react differently to men and women with flaws. A male hero who makes questionable choices is usually forgiven, but a female hero doing the same can make audiences uneasy. The success of shows like Aarya and Delhi Crime suggests that audiences are beginning to embrace different perspectives.

A Bold New Face of Women on Screen

The rise of female anti-heroes shows how much has changed in the way women are portrayed on screen. They’re no longer limited to stereotypes; they can be rebels, thinkers, fighters, and even villains. The real shift is that women don’t need to be perfect caregivers or flawless role models; they need to feel human.

Views expressed by the author are their own.