A misconception: “I specially keep my actresses for than one film as all they do is dance, look pretty and compliment my male lead,” said one of the most popular directors in our very own Bollywood. So, how many of you believe that almost the entire clan of Bollywood actresses is suited to play only a bimbette or plastic roles or there are more substantial roles for them too?
In its earlier days, our Bollywood like the medieval India, gave more prominence to women-oriented subjects and gave voice to the upliftment movement of the socially and emotionally distraught women of the country at that time. Films like Bimal Roy’s Bandini and Sujata, Oscar-nominated Mother India, Meena Kumari’s Pakeezah etc are among the few who gave significance to the female counterpart in Indian cinema. The films not only complimented the off-screen drive for women upliftment in the Indian society but also proved that even women could give a tough competition to the male actors in the filmdom. Then there were directors like Hrishikesh Mukherjee who realized the potential of such women-centered films and gave hits like Guddi, Mili, Abhimaan and introducing one of the most successful actresses of Bollywood: Jaya Bhaduri. Along with these commercial films, there were films in the art films’ category like Arth that promoted the female figure on-screen with panache and gave a fine actress in the form of Smita Patel to the Indian cinema. Moving on in the next decades, we had commercial hits like Kati Patang, Aradhana, Seeta aur Geeta, Aandhi, Umrao Jaan, Nikaah etc. which gave meatier roles to the actresses in contrast to the actors. The era which came after this period, gave more heartbreak to the Indian actress than ever before. The era of the superstars…