Exclusive: Bollywood Hotties on the fourfront

For the primary time in years, male-dominated Bollywood will see the discharge of several mainstream films which can be fronted by A-list leading ladies. Has the Hindi film industry finally warmed as much as the massive guns of the other gender?

Unlike last year, Vidya Balan won't have it easy at 2012's Best Actress award sweepstakes. True, the Balan blitzkrieg has continued into this year with Vidya scoring big (pun unintended) with the role of a faux pregnant woman removing villains in Kahaani.

But while Vidya had barely any competition worth its marquee name when her The Dirty Picture juggernaut swooped up all of the trophies, it is a crowded playing field this annum.

For starters, there's the redoubtable Kareena Kapoor, coming off several 100-crore grosses, desperate to prove her credentials in Madhur Bhandarkar's Heroine. Desirous about her first performance-oriented role, Kareena says, `I always desired to be a heroine. My Bollywood journey don't have been complete without this film. I'VE shot this film at one go.`

`For Kareena Kapoor, acting is a legacy. However, I'VE always felt that only 30 per cent of her potential was tapped in most of her films. With Heroine, I'VE tried to extract 100 per cent of her acting potential, ` says Bhandarkar.

Then there's grand dame Sridevi (unarguably the last Hindi film heroine to stay #1 for the easier a part of a decade within the '90s) making her much vaunted comeback after 15 years. Recently, at the film's launch, director Gauri called Sridevi the `hero` of her film.

The underappreciated darling of the early and mid-'90s, Preity Zinta is back to her romcom forte with Ishkq In Paris, after inexplicably dropping off the radar to dabble with art-house cinema and sports-team ownership. The film's director Prem Soni affirms, `Preity carries the film on her shoulders completely.`

Then, Bipasha Basu sinks her sharpened talons right into a meaty role in Raaz 3 as an on-the-skids actress who resorts to black magic to retain her slipping popularity. Mahesh Bhatt says pointedly, `Raaz 3 is ready a lady who is already a celeb and fearful of losing her stardom; and the bounds she stretches to stick there.`

This quartet of A-list leading ladies is bringing the Hindi film heroine to the vanguard again. Consequently, at a time when the tentpole picture starring a male superstar has become a festival event, filmmakers and audiences are simultaneously rediscovering the women's picture.

Success bolta hai

In Bollywood, as always, the secret's economics, and the upsurge in women-oriented films owes to the hot success of a clutch of such films. Siddharth Roy Kapur, Managing Director - Studios, Disney UTV, speaks from the viewpoint of the bankroller who has to ensure that creative decisions also ensure monetary returns.

`In the recent past, the success of flicks like Fashion, Nobody Killed Jessica, Tanu Weds Manu, The Dirty Picture and Kahaani, has shown that audiences are greater than willing to embrace heroine-oriented films with great content and high entertainment value, ` says Roy Kapur.

These successes have galvanised filmmakers, as Roy points out. `Our movies has been traditionally dominated by heroes, while author-backed roles for heroines was few and much between.

But the greatest leveller within the industry is commercial success, so that you will also be very sure that with the fantastic box office performance of those movies, more studios and filmmakers could be emboldened to try movies that have strong female protagonists, because audiences are telling us that they're ready for a change.`

Roy Kapur's prognosis is at the mark - at the anvil are several films with the leading lady on the vanguard - Anubhav Sinha production Gulab Gang and the Vishal Bharadwaj film, Ishqiya 2 both star Madhuri Dixit, Aiyya stars Rani Mukherjee within the central role and Kangana Ranaut presumably plays the title role in Queen.

Prem Soni, the director of Ishkq in Paris, agrees with Roy Kapur. `The Dirty Picture and Kahaani were great films; and the present scenario within the film industry evidences that if in case you have something entertaining and unusual, it's going to discover a market.

In Ishkq In Paris, Preity has crucial role within the film - of Ishkq. People have begun to just accept a film during which the lady plays the central character.`

Moreover, films that pivot around women lend filmmakers and writers an artistic impetus too, as they're afforded a possibility to aim variegated themes with a protagonist of a special gender.

Shagufta Rafique, the author of Raaz 3, states, `Bipasha's character is author-backed and that i took great pains to jot down it. You cannot give all power-packed scenes in your hero and leave nothing for the heroine to do. Why is she in the film then?`

Heroines come of age

While monetary returns have motivated filmmakers to appear for women-based subjects, heroines was enthused by Vidya's success trajectory.

She became a box-office love object after she found her sweet spot in medium-budget films, largely fuelled by her own appeal. She has had a string of successes - The Dirty Picture, Kahaani, No person Killed Jessica and Ishqiya. Now, young heroines reminiscent of Sonakshi Sinha and Prachi Desai marvel at Vidya's gumption.

At the similar time, many established heroines have reached that stage of their careers after they want films that showcase their talent at the side of the blockbusters; now that they've the star power to greenlight these films. Kareena has had several hits but strong roles have evaded her within the half decade since Jab We Met. She's going to naturally gravitate towards a Heroine.

Similarly, 33 years after her debut as a heroine, Sridevi has thought it best to show down several big banner offers and instead support an issue that revolves round her. The present climate also seems to have prompted Preity to make the leap and convey Ishkq In Paris, that puts her at centrestage.

Sridevi

Sridevi, often touted because the last Hindi film heroine to stay #1 for the easier a part of a decade within the '90s, makes her comeback after 15 years in English Vinglish

This avalanche led to the unlikely scenario when three women-dominated films - Heroine, English Vinglish and Ishkq In Paris were all slated to release at the same day, till wiser counsel prevailed and a cannibalistic orgy was avoided. But this scenario itself seemed unimaginable many years ago.

Of course, Hindi cinema has had several landmark films propelled by women power. Within the 1950s and 1960s, actors corresponding to Nargis, Meena Kumari, Mala Sinha and Vyajayanthimala could draw audiences even if they did not play second fiddle to heroes.

After the arrival of the superstar era within the 1970s, it was only the occasional Seeta Aur Geeta, Tapasya, Khubsoorat, Khoon Bhari Maang, Nagina or Chandni that kept the flag flying.

Thereafter, all too often, a women's film came to intend an art house small budget affair targeted at a select audience. It is only now that audiences are again receptive to the brand new woman in mainstream films.

It's not all rosy, however. While male superstars can always anticipate A-list heroines to leap at glorified arm-candy roles when the actor has the title role (Robot, Singh is King, Don), heroines have little luck landing trophy heroes for his or her ventures.

Kareena cannot hope for a Khan or a Hrithik Roshan to pair opposite her; Arjun Rampal and Randeep Hooda are cast opposite her in Heroine. Preity has a brand new hero, Rhean Malik. Similarly, in English Vinglish, the '80s empress too stars opposite a brand new face - French actor Mehdi Nebbou.

Money matters

Heroines and filmmakers are unabashedly and guardedly (respectively) hooked in to such films. Aspirations have shot up, and budgets are keeping pace. Bhandarkar declares, `Heroine is the costliest film that I'VE made up to now. So the budget is actually not a constraint for theright subject.`

But while the monies spent have increased significantly, Bollywood could also be a hard-nosed realist. Does it expect women-oriented films to race past the newly engendered Rs 100 crore milestone? Roy Kapur says, `Of course, the box office potential of such films is probably not up to with a top male superstar but when the film works, the return on investment can also be on par and even higher.`

Preity Zinta

The underappreciated darling of the early and mid-'90s, Preity Zinta is back to her romcom forte with Ishkq In Paris

The loss of big budgets for women-oriented subjects doesn't indicate an absence of confidence in them but is because of the truth that these films don't seem to blighting tricks.d themes which require expensive explosions and special effects. We still await our A-list Lara Croft.

Ask Sujoy Ghosh, who helmed Kahaani, about his experience of financing it, and he says bluntly, `If Kahaani had involved a large number of money, we would not have made it. If a heroine-oriented film is made at the right budget, producers can be able to invest.`

Entertainment is king

Ghosh echoes most filmmakers when he opines that ultimately it isn't the gender of the protagonist however the quality of the film that matters. As filmmaker Vikram Bhatt declares, `The audience is repeatedly delivering the message - the star isn't what is going to make a movie work.

Cocktail had an excellent opening, but Agent Vinod which featured the similar star (Saif Ali Khan) didn't do well. Content is king now and what better time for filmmakers to live it up?` Filmmakers and actresses both assert that they've cottoned on - women-oriented films not have to be genre outings or preachy lessons in sense and sensitivity; instead they have to fulfil The Dirty Picture diktat - 'Entertainment, entertainment, entertainment.'

Women on top within the '50s and the '60s Nargis (Mother India), Meena Kumari (Main Chup Rahungi, Aarti, Kaajal), Vyjayanthimala (Kathputli, Sadhana), Nutan (Sujata, Bandini), Mala Sinha (Anpadh, Aasra), Sadhana (Woh Kaun Thi, Mera Saaya)

Courtesy: Mid-Day.com