More men watch films in theatres compared to women. The FDFS kind of audience is mostly male.
So yes. Popularity among male audiences does help actors and actresses more and stay longer in business.
Stars who depend mainly on female audience/fans fade sooner. Rajesh Khanna is the best example of it. Began to fade as soon as male audience found new icons in Amitabh, Vinod and Dharam.
It is male audience that promotes female stars the most putting their pics and stickers on even taxis, rickshaws and autos or turning up FDFS for films of actresses they like or sometimes watching films only to see one song of girl they like. Or buying tickets to watch same film more than once in theatres.
Male audience is the reason why Helen is a legend and commands respect like a heroine despite usually having less roles and more dances in films- because men would turn up to watch films even for just one song of Helen.
Male audience is the reason why Rajinikanth is still getting lead roles and giving hits. Male audience is the reason for longevity of Salman as a hero.
Continued popularity of Rekha and Hema even at this age is partly due to male audience that finds them good looking and well maintained for their age. I doubt Baghban would have grossed as much as it did if it did not have Hema Malini in it and Jaya instead.
All biggest heroines of their times who are still remembered or recalled till date are all those who have been biggest fantasies of men- Madhubala, Sadhana, Waheeda, Vyjanthimala, Saira Banu, Hema Malini, Zeenat, Parveen, Rekha, Madhuri, Sridevi, Raveena etc.
No one keeps naming other hit heroines and actresses like Nalini Jaywant, Nimmi, Asha Parekh, Neetu Singh, Kim, Leena, Anita Raj, Amrita Singh, Poonam, Neelam etc.
At home also it male audience that is more likely to watch films on TV, DVD compared to women who prefer watching serials or short web series as they have no time to sit for 3 hours at a stretch and watch films because mostly women have work to do at home.
It's male audience who often watch old videos and songs repeatedly and gush about heroines they loved or admit jerking off to her songs.
Usually most popular female star is the one who has blend of innocence, decent looks, can seem sweet and sexy at same time, acts well and dances well- like Madhuri could look homely as well as sexy in Beta and Sridevi was childlike playful with kids but hot in Kaate nahi kat te song in Mr India or she has to be really beautiful like young Hema Malini, Madhubala, Vyjantimala and Aishwarya were.
Popularity with female audience does make it better for a heroine as an added bonus but it is never a make or break factor for her the way popularity with male audience is.
Most filmmakers, writers, movie goers in theatres are male. Actress is chosen on basis of how much she will appeal to audience- including males and often ones selecting girls for casting, scrutinizing their auditions and pics are men or ones who try to see if girl looks interesting enough from male perspective.
They get all these makeovers, surgeries to appeal more to male audience primarily.
If someone is talking about Ajay Devgan then people better know he is admired as an action star and after Ishq, All the best, Golmaal series people like his comic timing also. He does not need anyone to fantasize for him. Men usually mocked his looks but liked his stunts, fight scenes and acting. Some women like him for intensity in roles like HDDCS, Zakhm, Pyar toh hona hi tha.
Popularity of an actress does get influenced by how much male fan following she has.
A popular male actor can still keep going ahead even if he has less popularity among female audience but it is not always same vice versa for female actors.
Aamir is less popular among women compared to other 2 Khans yet he has broken records with 3 Idiots, Ghajini, D3, Dangal.
Female audience could not save Rajesh Khanna from being overtaken by Amitabh who had less female fan following until he did Muqaddar ka Sikandar, Amar Akbar Anthony, Kabhi Kabhi in which he did romantic scenes as well.
Female audience probably liked simple girl next door, traditional, bubbly Jaya Bhaduri more and found Zeenat too bold but it did not affect Zeenat at all who went on to become one of biggest stars of 70s thanks to male audience going crazy for her.
The ones shelling out money to watch films and buying stickers, posters, DVDs, running fan clubs are still primarily men in India.
There are fans who still celebrate Madhuri's birthday like a festival and distribute free food from their dhabas and shops in her name that day. That's what male fan following does and such crazy fan following is the reason why term 'male fantasy' was coined and used widely.
On FB also I have noticed most nostalgia groups are run by older men. Not women (who perhaps have less time). And those men keep posting about heroines they loved, share stories of their craze for various heroines. Today memory of older heroines is dependent on which fans keep their memories alive. No one talks of Farha, Anita Raj, Padmini, Tina type heroines now while the first name that comes to their minds on 80s is Sridevi and likes of Jayaprada, Poonam and later Madhuri (as she debuted later) or to some extent Meenakshi as she danced well.
Popularity and recall value of heroines is definitely influenced significantly by how much male audience likes them.
Just as no one talks of Ayesha Jhulka, Sheeba, Mamta now in any topic of 90s.
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