Karan Anshuman, director of Emmy-nominated series, Inside Edge, strongly believes in creating empowered female characters and condemns diluting female leads to mere stereotypes.

`I make it a point to present women who think and take a stand for themselves,` says Anshuman. `Real women are completely unlike those currently represented by our cinema. When I write, I strive to create female characters with personality and substance, drawing from the women around me. It is important for female characters to have agency and be the heroes of their own stories, without men stepping in and stealing their thunder. My female characters are self-sufficient and capable, even when their means are limited.`

`Though as filmmakers we have the liberty to fashion characters as we like, I believe we have the duty to bring awareness and send the right message to the audience, especially right now, in these trying times. It is important to bring about a positive change in the way women are perceived. Responsible and inclusive filmmaking is the need of the hour`, he adds.

`In my first show, Inside Edge, that was set in a testosterone-laden world of sports and power, every single female character came out strong and on top at the end against all odds. In Mirzapur, a show set in small-town India where patriarchy abounds, we upped the challenge for ourselves to create characters which were believable, relatable and yet get to speak their minds and express themselves unhindered. You will see how Beena (Rasika Dugal), Golu (Shweta Tripathi), and Sweety (Shriya Pilgaonkar) have their independent motivations, their victories and contribute to the story in major ways. My next project in the pipeline is all-out feminist. It is well beyond the due date women are given their appropriate recognition in cinema`, concludes Karan.

With all that said, we sure can't wait to see these ladies prove their mettle in the upcoming gangster drama!