Life's hardly ever a domestic saas-bahu saga for hitched Bollywood heroines
Amid all the speculation about Aishwarya Rai quitting films after marriage, when Amitabh Bachchan says his future daughter-in-law is a simple and traditional girl - "she's also very domesticated"- it's just a reminder of what a good bahu is all about. Didn't even Jaya Bachchan put family first?
At least the Kapoors would understand completely. Bollywood's first family may have lived and breathed cinema for five generations, but they've unerringly guided their star bahus down the domesticated pathway to wedded bliss. After all, it was the khandaani thing to do.
So it followed that a Kapoor daughter making a career in films was absolutely unthinkable - till it happened with Prem Qaidi in 1991. But even Karisma chose to be a housewife immediately after marriage.
"Let's not forget that even the film industry is part of the Indian nation - and as a society, we are prone to posturing," says a noted filmmaker on condition of anonymity. But isn't it ironical given that even the decidedly traditional middle class doesn't mind a working bahu now?
Says actor Poonam Dhillon: "In the film industry there are odd hours and much more public projection of women than those working in offices. Earlier, as soon as you got married you became 'bhabhiji' for everybody concerned and were treated with overwhelming deference. Now the concept of bhabhi is gone — she's simply another friend now."
Poonam, who was all of 25 when she quit films and got married, says she had her own reasons: "I started working when I was just 16, so I had a fair run. Also, back then even producers had a mental block against casting a married heroine. Apart from the worry that she'd get pregnant and leave the film in a lurch, the element of fantasy associated with a single girl was seen to be lost forever."
When a heroine wants to make a comeback after starting a family, it can be a tricky affair. But now with Madhuri and even Karisma looking for a second innings after Kajol's triumphant 'Fanaa', have we turned the corner?
Says director Madhur Bhandarkar, "Look at Sharmila Tagore and Rakhee — they were at the peak of success after marriage even in the 70's. Dimple Kapadia made a grand comeback with 'Sagar' and had a long run after that. For the kind of films I make, it's the suitability of the actor to the character not the marital status that counts."
"Kajol made a fantastic comeback without having to be paired with her husband. And mark my words, Madhuri's next film will have a bumper opening. People have realised the need for good actresses even if they are crossing 40," says trade analyst Taran Adarsh, who adds that production and endorsements will always remain viable options for them. So there's hope yet for the Bollywood bahu.
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