That the scope of the silver screen is expanding is an understatement. When movies are maturing, it requires its actors to grow up too. The 2015 list of Friday releases surely gives the impression that Bollywood’s female actors have crossed the threshold of competition to enter into the zone of collective coexistence.
B-town actresses are increasingly devoid of pretenses. If conventional, formulaic and thumka-thrusting dance numbers is their forte, they are wearing their heart on their sleeves. Cast of a few 100 crore blockbusters, Sonakshi Sinha has a realistic vision of films as a mode of entertainment and her ambition as an actor is to reach as many people as possible. Playing roles like that of the raw and rustic Radhika Mishra in Amit Sharma’s Tevar (2015) amongst a predominantly male milieu makes the perfect mould for Sinha. With Dabang (2010), Action Jackson (2014), Rowdy Rathore (2012) in her kitty, other actresses would not be justifiably able to claim the same space in the Tevar-esque tamasha.
Yet, it does not mean the monopoly over masala films for some actresses have restructured gallery entertainment to adapt it to their own personality and style. Sonam Kapoor’s effervescent yet polished, cacophonously Punjabi yet subtly sophisticated Khoobsoorat (2015)against an unconventionally suave and shy male lead played by Pakistani actor Fawad Khan is a point in case. This remake of the 1980 classic deviates very little from the established norms of plot making in Bollywood but Kapoor manages to stamp it with her authenticity once again echoing her previous performances in Aisha(2010), I Hate Luv Storys (2010) and Bewakoofiya (2014).What can be noticed is that even when you are the beti of a star khandaan sharing commercial interests, there are enough film scripts for competing, contemporary actresses like Kapoor and Sinha to have their pickings. Neither the actresses nor the audience could interchange these two distinct daughters. It is not a competitive but a cozy corner for each one.
Somewhere beyond the star-studded action romances and bubbly youth romcoms is located a titillating turf of love, sex and dhoka, exemplified by movies like Dirty Politics (2015) and Barkhaa (2015). These are production scales and distribution models that may operate on low to moderate input to maximize output through mass popularity in the interior and smaller regions of the country. There are actresses who prove to be the right fabric for these customized roles. Mallika Sherawat who has labeled her role in Jennifer Lynch’s Hiss (2010) as a “role of a lifetime” is self-conscious about creating a glamorous and scandalous brand around herself. While she renders “dirty” scripts as a natural representation, other actresses can carve their fantasy bubbles elsewhere instead of competing with her space and fanbase. For relative newcomers like Sara Loren again, demarcating the turfs and identifying the right path for her image and talent is an open choice and a conscious decision. Roles and production houses like that of Barkhaa remain outside the circle of consideration for established actresses thereby opening the window of opportunity for younger talent like Loren. Ironically enough, when similar themes and protagonists are scaled up, under the aegis of Madhur Bhandarkar (Heroine) and Sudhir Mishra (Chameli), it turns into a platform for experimentation and differentiation for stars like Kareena Kapoor.
Following close on heels are movies like theft thriller Roy (2015) and Bhushan Patel’s erotic horror film Alone (2015) that mince skin with suspense and whip up sex with thriller scenes. The dual roles of Ayesha Aamir and Tia in Roy and of Sanjana and Anjana in Alone require a femme fatale charm and charisma that is not unwilling to veer on the sexy and the sleazy. These scripts are so plot driven that the emphasis on creating convincing character is superseded by the compulsion of constructing emphatic screen presence. The casting is at once categorized for not only the film makers and actors but also for the audience. That is the reason why Alone and Dolly Ki Doli can release a week apart and rather than competing with each other, gross around Rs. 16 crore and Rs. 18 crore in their opening weekend respectively.
Viewed from the Bollywood balcony, beauties and belles can forego their rights to assail and assault. Now is an exciting time to carve a niche and coexist with your own nemesis.
The post From Competition To Coexistence: The Bollywood Heroine Of Today And The Delicate Art Of Coexisting appeared first on Bollywood Celebden.
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