Fierce, Lethal And Unstoppable: 14 Times Bollywood Actresses Ruled The Action Genre
Amid the release of ‘Alpha’, a look at Bollywood’s best women-led action films and thrillers that put actresses at the centre of the fight.
For decades, the heavy-lifting of Bollywood's action genre was exclusively reserved for its male superstars. Women were often relegated to the sidelines, waiting to be rescued. However, over the past decade, a quiet but powerful revolution has completely rewritten the rules of engagement. With Alia Bhatt and Sharvari headlining ‘Alpha’, the first female-led installment of the YRF Spy Universe released this Friday, female action stars are officially entering the massive, blockbuster tentpole arena.
As ‘Alpha’ shatters the glass ceiling of big-budget spy thrillers, it is the perfect time to look back at the gritty, intelligent, and relentlessly violent female-led action films and thrillers that paved the way. Here is a look at the most impactful female-led action movies in Bollywood history, the powerhouse women who led them, and exactly how much they earned at the box office.
Check out the list below:
1. Mardaani Franchise
Long before the current wave of cinematic cop universes, Rani Mukerji laid down the law as the fierce, no-nonsense Senior Inspector Shivani Shivaji Roy. Directed by Pradeep Sarkar, the franchise kicked off with ‘Mardaani’ on August 22, 2014, diving into the dark, violent underbelly of child trafficking. Gopi Puthran took over directorial duties for ‘Mardaani 2’, released on December 13, 2019, which pitted Shivani Shivaji Roy against a chilling, remorseless young serial killer (played brilliantly by Vishal Jethwa). Both films were praised for their raw, grounded action choreography and Rani Mukerji’s ferocious screen presence. The franchise proved to be a consistent commercial success; the 2014 original grossed approximately Rs 59 crore worldwide, while ‘Mardaani 2’ comfortably surpassed it, pulling in over Rs 67 crore globally on a tight budget.
The third film, ‘Mardaani 3’, directed by Abhiraj Minawala, released on January 30, 2026, with Rani Mukerji, Janki Bodiwala and Mallika Prasad. The film followed Shivani as she investigated the disappearance of several young girls. It collected around Rs 76 crore worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film in the franchise.
2. Naam Shabana
A spin-off from Neeraj Pandey’s blockbuster ‘Baby’, ‘Naam Shabana’ stands as a milestone, marking one of the first times a female character in Bollywood was granted her own origin-story action film. Released on March 31, 2017, and directed by Shivam Nair, the film starred Taapsee Pannu alongside Manoj Bajpayee, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and an extended cameo by Akshay Kumar. The plot traced the intense physical and psychological training of Shabana Khan as she transformed from a college student seeking revenge for her boyfriend's murder into a deadly, elite field agent for Indian intelligence. Driven by Taapsee Pannu's dedicated martial arts prep and hard-hitting combat sequences, the film connected well with the masses, completing its run with a solid worldwide gross of Rs 55 crore.
3. Akira
Taking a massive leap out of her comfort zone of playing the quintessential romantic interest, Sonakshi Sinha delivered a surprisingly brutal, bone-breaking performance in ‘Akira’. Directed by A.R. Murugadoss and released on September 2, 2016, the film followed a misunderstood, fiercely independent college student with a history of anger management and martial arts training. When she was unwittingly dragged into a web of corruption led by a ruthless police officer (Anurag Kashyap), Akira was forced to fight her way out of an asylum to clear her name. While the film met with mixed critical reviews due to its convoluted second half, Sonakshi’s high-kicking action sequences were universally praised. ‘Akira’ managed to recover its costs, wrapping up its theatrical run with a worldwide gross of Rs 43.90 crore.
4. Mom
While not a traditional hand-to-hand combat action movie, ‘Mom’ is a masterclass in the revenge-thriller genre, anchored by the legendary Sridevi in her final leading role. Directed by Ravi Udyawar and released on July 7, 2017, the film featured Sridevi alongside Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Akshaye Khanna, and Sajal Ali. The dark, emotionally devastating plot followed a biology teacher who took the law into her own hands to systematically hunt down and destroy the men who sexually assaulted her stepdaughter and evaded justice. The film was a critical triumph, but its true box-office glory came from its international release. While it performed decently in India, ‘Mom’ exploded at the Chinese box office years later, propelling its final worldwide gross to an incredible Rs 178.54 crore.
5. NH10
Visceral, terrifying, and unapologetically violent, ‘NH10’ completely redefined the boundaries of a female-led thriller in India. Directed by Navdeep Singh and released on March 13, 2015, the film marked Anushka Sharma’s debut as a producer. Starring Anushka Sharma alongside Neil Bhoopalam and Darshan Kumar, the plot kicked off when an urban corporate couple on a weekend getaway accidentally witnessed a brutal honor killing on a deserted Haryana highway. What followed was a relentless, bloody game of survival as Anushka Sharma's character transformed from a terrified victim into a primal, iron-rod-wielding force of vengeance. Made on a shoestring budget of just Rs 14 crore, the film was a sleeper hit, grossing nearly Rs 44 crore worldwide.
6. Kahaani
‘Kahaani’ is the gold standard of modern Indian thrillers. Released on March 9, 2012, and directed by Sujoy Ghosh, the film relied on tension, intelligence, and a legendary plot twist rather than explosions and gunfights. Vidya Balan delivered a career-defining performance as Vidya Bagchi, a heavily pregnant software engineer who travelled to Kolkata during the chaotic Durga Puja festival to search for her missing husband, navigating a deadly conspiracy involving rogue intelligence agents and assassins. Made on a remarkably lean budget of just Rs 15 crore with guerrilla-style filmmaking on the streets of Kolkata, ‘Kahaani’ generated extraordinary word-of-mouth. It went on to gross a staggering Rs 80 crore worldwide, completely changing the narrative around the financial viability of female-centric films.
7. Sherni
Trading urban concrete jungles for the actual wilderness, ‘Sherni’ offered a deeply grounded, bureaucratic take on the survival thriller. Directed by Amit Masurkar (Newton) and released directly on Amazon Prime Video on June 18, 2021, the film starred Vidya Balan, Vijay Raaz, Sharat Saxena, and Neeraj Kabi. Vidya Balan played an upright, newly appointed forest officer tasked with capturing an elusive, man-eating tigress. Rather than employing exaggerated action tropes, the film built suffocating tension through the very real threats of hostile local politicians, patriarchal apathy, and the dangerous, dense jungles of Madhya Pradesh. While it bypassed a theatrical release due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it received widespread critical acclaim for its realistic, cerebral approach to the genre.
8. Raazi
Before Alia Bhatt stepped into the explosive action of ‘Alpha’, she proved her mettle as a master of the espionage thriller in ‘Raazi’. Directed by Meghna Gulzar and released on May 11, 2018, the film was based on the true story of Sehmat Khan, a young Kashmiri woman who married a Pakistani military officer (Vicky Kaushal) to work as an undercover spy for Indian intelligence prior to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The film brilliantly stripped away the glamour of James Bond-style spying, focusing instead on the intense anxiety, moral compromises, and quiet, lethal maneuvering required to survive behind enemy lines. ‘Raazi’ was an absolute juggernaut at the ticket windows, crossing the Rs 100 crore mark domestically and finishing with a massive worldwide gross of Rs 195 crore.
9. Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Scaling up to massive, epic warfare, ‘Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi’ proved that female actors could carry heavy, historical action blockbusters. Co-directed by Kangana Ranaut and Radha Krishna Jagarlamudi (Krish), and released on January 25, 2019, the film starred Kangana Ranaut in the titular role of Rani Lakshmibai. The film chronicled her legendary transformation from a young bride to a fierce, sword-wielding warrior queen leading her army against the British East India Company during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Praised for Kangana’s physically demanding combat sequences, intense horseback riding, and massive battle set-pieces, the film scored the highest opening weekend collections for a female-driven film in India at the time. Despite a bloated budget due to reshoots, it earned a highly respectable Rs 142 crore at the worldwide box office.
10. Neerja
Shifting from hand-to-hand combat to a high-stakes hijack thriller, ‘Neerja’ is an incredibly tense, claustrophobic masterclass in survival action. Directed by Ram Madhvani and released on February 19, 2016, the film is based on the real-life heroism of Neerja Bhanot, a 22-year-old flight purser who sacrificed her life to save passengers when Pan Am Flight 73 was hijacked by heavily armed terrorists in Karachi in 1986. Starring Sonam Kapoor in a career-defining performance alongside Shabana Azmi and Jim Sarbh, the film relied on psychological warfare, split-second tactical decisions, and raw courage under fire rather than traditional stunts. It was a massive critical and commercial triumph, grossing a staggering Rs 120 crore worldwide on a modest budget, proving definitively that female-led thrillers could dominate the box office.
11. Gulaab Gang
Long before slick spy universes took over, ‘Gulaab Gang’ brought fierce, grassroots vigilante action to the rural heartlands. Directed by Soumik Sen and released on March 7, 2014, the film featured a monumental casting coup: pairing 90s superstars and former rivals Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla against each other. Madhuri Dixit played Rajjo, the fearless leader of a group of pink-saree-clad women who wielded sickles and lathis to physically fight against domestic violence and corrupt politicians. Juhi Chawla played her formidable, manipulative political adversary. While the film was not a massive box-office hit — grossing roughly Rs 22 crore globally— the sheer spectacle of Madhuri Dixit executing raw, stick-fighting action sequences and the unapologetic feminist undertones earned it a distinct place in Bollywood's action history.
12. Mary Kom
While primarily a sports biopic, ‘Mary Kom’ delivered some of the most gruelling, physically demanding training and boxing sequences ever headlined by a female actor in Bollywood. Directed by Omung Kumar and released on September 5, 2014, the film starred Priyanka Chopra Jonas as the legendary Indian boxer Mangte Chungneijang Kom. The plot chronicled her journey from a modest upbringing in Manipur to becoming a world boxing champion, battling systemic sexism, lack of infrastructure, and the immense physical toll of returning to the ring after motherhood. Priyanka Chopra's intense physical transformation and the hard-hitting arena fights struck a major chord with audiences. The film was a resounding commercial success, setting an opening weekend record for a female-led film at the time and finishing with a worldwide gross of approximately Rs 91.33 crore.
13. Jai Gangaajal
‘Jai Gangaajal’ placed Priyanka Chopra Jonas in the role of a tough police officer fighting corruption and political violence. Directed by Prakash Jha, the film released on March 4, 2016, and also starred Prakash Jha, Manav Kaul, Rahul Bhat, Murli Sharma and Ninad Kamat. Priyanka played SP Abha Mathur, an IPS officer posted in a lawless district where politicians, police and local power brokers were deeply entangled. The film had action scenes, confrontations and a strong anti-corruption track, though Prakash Jha’s own character also took up a large amount of screen space. ‘Jai Gangaajal’ collected around Rs 49.60 crore worldwide.
14. Dhaakad
‘Dhaakad’ is one of Bollywood’s most direct attempts at a full-scale female-led action film. Directed by Razneesh Ghai, the film released on May 20, 2022, and starred Kangana Ranaut, Arjun Rampal and Divya Dutta. Kangana played Agent Agni, a highly trained operative sent to take down a trafficking and crime network. On paper, ‘Dhaakad’ had everything associated with international-style action cinema: gun fights, stylised combat, dark visuals and a female spy-assassin at the centre. However, the film failed to connect with audiences and became one of Bollywood’s most infamous box-office disasters. It collected only around Rs 3.77 crore worldwide, including about Rs 2.58 crore India nett. Despite its failure, ‘Dhaakad’ remains important because it showed both the ambition and the risk of mounting a female-led action spectacle on a large scale.
Bollywood’s female-led action space is still not as crowded as its male-led counterpart, but these films show how much range already exists. The best female-led action films in Bollywood are not just about women fighting villains. They are about women taking control of the story. Whether they are cops, mothers, spies, lawyers, forest officers, queens, boxers or survivors, these characters proved that action does not belong to one gender. It belongs to whoever has the strongest reason to fight.
With ‘Alpha’ bringing Alia Bhatt into YRF’s spy-action universe, the genre now feels ready for its next major mainstream leap.
