Whenever we heard those three words, we automatically thought of scowling men wielding microphones.
Well, not anymore.
If you go by the success of films like Dhobi Ghat and Peepli Live, the mainstream movie business is no longer alien territory for women directors.
Perhaps it's their sensitivity to the ways of society or merely just a woman's perspective, but women directors bring to the table a different sensibility.
Here's our list of women who are changing the face of Bollywood.
Text: Tsering Dolma
Images: Sify.com