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  • Kangna Ranaut in
    Kangna Ranaut in "Queen"Facebook/Queen The Film
  • Mary Kom poster
    Priyanka Chopra as boxer Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom in 'Mary Kom'Facebook/Mary Kom
  • 'The Dirty Picture'
    Wall poster of "The Dirty Picture" filmOfficial site

Women's Day is celebrated across the world on 8 March. The theme of International Women's Day 2015 is "Make It Happen".

2015 also marks the 20th anniversary of Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and the UN theme for this year is "Empowering Women, Empowering Humanity: Picture it!"

The Indian entertainment industry has, over the years, made many women-centric films that managed to become box office hits.

Check out the popular women-centric Bollywood films below:

"Mother India"

Helmed by Mehboob Khan, the 1957 melodrama "Mother India" is one of the most popular women-centric films in Bollywood. The film has Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Raaj Kumar in the lead roles. The film represented post-Independence India and introduced the inner strength of woman.

"Mirch Masala"

Actress Smita Patil was named in the Forbes magazine's "25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema" list for her performance in the 1987 film, "Mirch Masala", which also had Naseeruddin Shah in the lead role. Helmed by Ketan Mehta, the movie is about the courage of a village girl, who fights back against the one who tries to rape her.

"Lajja"

"Lajja", directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, is about the restrictions imposed upon women in India. The film has many popular stars, including Manisha Koirala, Rekha, Madhuri Dixit, Mahima Chaudhry, Jackie Shroff, Johnny Lever, Anil Kapoor, Samir Soni, Ajay Devgan and Danny Denzongpa in significant roles.

"The Dirty Picture"

The 2011 film, "The Dirty Picture", which had Vidya Balan in the lead role, was inspired by the story of Silk Smitha. The late actress was popular for her erotic roles in south Indian films. the biopic became a box office hit and Vidya was praised for the bold role.

"Queen"

Kangana Ranaut starrer "Queen", directed by Vikas Bahl, was released on International Women's Day 2013. "Queen" is about a girl who goes on a honeymoon alone after her fiancĂ© dumps her just a day before their marriage. The film received many accolades and was named the best film of the year. 

"Mary Kom"

The sports biopic "Mary Kom", based on the life of Olympic bronze medallist and five-time World Boxing Champion MC Mary Kom, was named as one of the best films of 2014. Directed by Omung Kumar, the film was well-accepted by critics and audience alike. Priyanka Chopra was praised for her amazing non-glamorous performance.