Back in the Golden age of Telugu Cinema, when legends like NTR, ANR, Savitri and others graced the big screen, there was equal importance to every character in a film. Women had significant and amazing roles in movies, one that uplifted and empowered those watching the film.
However, as Tollywood evolved into commercial cinema, women have had lesser and lesser roles to play in movies, and have been reduced to being just eye candies in films. The trend has been so for several decades now, but times are slowly changing, with a lot of importance once again being given to women and the role they play in a film.
While Tollywood continues to be mostly commercially centric, when it comes to films, the way the commercial subjects are being handled is slowly changing, as the audiences are evolving and as their content preferences are evolving. Audiences in the current generation are not accepting senseless or brainless characters that exist for the sake of it. Every character in a film needs to serve a purpose, and the purpose of a leading lady should be significantly important. As a result, while the situations are not wonderful, things are definitely looking better for leading ladies in Telugu Cinema once again.