Path Breaking Heroines....

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TheBlackJaguar

@TheBlackJaguar

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Posted: 17 years ago

Path breaking heroines

- Ruma Malia

Indian cinema has largely been a male-dominated industry. Even today, a Kareena Kapoor or Aishwarya Rai's signing rates are nowhere close to SRK or Akshay Kumar's. On the eve of Women's Day, we pay a tribute to those leading ladies who took a bold step and dared to play unconventional roles.

Nadia

Popularly known as the Fearless Nadia, she was probably the first stunt-woman of Hindi cinema. While her counterparts were busy playing doe-eyed beauties draped in lengths of sari and singing to the moon, here was a woman who clearly walked her own road. A theatre artiste and an actress who had worked in foreign films, Nadia entered the Hindi film industry in 1933 by debuting in Wadia Movietone's Lal-e-Yaman. Her unconventional role and action stunts made her popular with the audiences.

Two years later, she donned tight pants, high boots, a revealing shirt and a whip in her hand to become synonymous with the title of her movie 'Hunterwali'. Till date, the industry has not been able to produce a second Nadia who can occupy the chair of Bollywood's stunt actress.

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Path breaking heroines

Nargis Dutt

Literally the mother of all when it comes to acting, Nargis Dutt's name has been etched in Indian cinema's history for her role in Mother India. In an era when actresses were restricted to weeping for their 'suhaag' or screaming 'mere lal', she moved beyond her domestic sorrows as an independent woman and emerged as the first female protagonist of the Hindi film industry. Nargis shocked the audiences with her climax act in the film, wherein she chose to be an ideal citizen over an ideal mother and shot her own son Birju (played by Sunil Dutt). An otherwise conservative audience accepted her move with open arms. Why? Because here was a woman who rebelled again the system not for mere shock value.

Nargis's character communicated the irony of every other Indian woman's life which revolved around her family.

Path breaking heroines

Smita Patil

A newsreader and an ace photographer, Smita Patil was Hindi cinema's first tall and dusky actress. Sans make-up and coyness, this actress was known for her work in art and parallel films. Her career lasted over a decade and saw her playing roles like Sonbai, a gutsy rural woman who refuses to sleep with a subedar to Zeenat, a small town prostitute in Mandi. Apart from a few commercial films like Namak Halal, Smita Patil not just portrayed the hardships of Indian women in her movies, but often did inspirational acts. Movies like Manthan (based on the White Revolution) and Bhumika, which is inspired from the true-life story of a Marathi actress, won Patil several accolades.

Path breaking heroines

Shabana Azmi

A winner of five national awards, Shabana Azmi needs no introduction. A woman who has weaved her passion with a cause she believes in, Shabana is another gem brought to light by the parallel cinema movement in India. From a wife who separates from her husband for self-dignity in Arth to a wife who develops intimacy with her sister-in-law (played by Nandita Das) in Fire, Shabana Azmi has been-there-done-that. An actress who has never shied away from playing the most controversial as well as documentary roles, her portrayal of women in films like Ankur, Khandhar, Masoom, Sati, Arth, Mandi, Sparsh and Godmother is unforgettable.

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Path breaking heroines

Sridevi

With parallel cinema slowing down and merging with mainstream cinema, playing unconventional roles became a different ballgame altogether. Someone who had just started her career in Bollywood, a certain sense of creative satisfaction triggered Sridevi to take up the role of a mentally retarded girl in Sadma. Without thinking twice whether a de-glam role would wash off the effect of her first hit Himmatwala and would reduce her chances of a commercially successful career in Bollywood, the actress exchanged opted to portray the character a small town girl. Her stunning act in Sadma won her critical acclaim and is till date recognised as one of the best performances of this otherwise bubble-gum girl.

Path breaking heroines

Kajol

A tom-boy in personal life but an extremely graceful and feminine on-screen personality, Kajol believes in breaking her own scores. After winning the Filmfare award in the Best Actress category for her performance in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kajol created a history of sorts as she went on to become the first actress to be nominated and awarded a trophy in the Best Villain category for her role in Gupt.

While most of her contemporaries safely stuck to rain dances and pout practice, Kajol found herself at ease playing an obsessive lover who goes on to murder her lover's father. The urge to play strong and protagonist roles saw this actress opting for a double role in Dushman. The determination to take revenge as well as the shortcomings of a young woman who loses her twin sister to a rapist was beautifully portrayed by Kajol.

Path breaking heroines

Tabu

After a series of unnoticed films and dance numbers like 'Oh My Darling, Give Me A Look', Tabu finally found her true calling with critically acclaimed films. While playing a Punjabi woman who gets caught in the rise of Sikh insurgency in Maachis won Tabu her first National award, the second one came with her heart-rendering portrayal of the harsh realities of a bar dancer's life in Chandni Bar. A favourite among critics, Tabu has four Critics' awards to her credit. Whether she played a rural illiterate wife in Viraasat or a young middle-class girl who shoulders family responsibilities in Hera Pheri, Tabu's characters always use a discreet charm to pamper the male ego but at the same time not compromising on their self-dignity and goals. Her ultimate act of course happened with Astitva. In a so-called modern world, Tabu's portrayal of Aditi, a middle-class Maharashtrian house-wife who ends up having an extra-marital affair out of sheer loneliness, raised controversies about the sexual liberties of a wife as compared to that of a husband's.

Path breaking heroines

Kareena Kapoor

The glamourous diva of Bollywood, Kareena Kapoor has quite a few outstanding performances to her credit. Be it the gutsy Bangladeshi girl who is unapologetic about being in love with an Indian refugee and even bearing his child before marriage or a Muslim girl who deals with the trauma of communal riots in Gujarat in Dev, Kareena has always been open to highlighting the plight of ordinary girls in extraordinary circumstances. She made the best of her unapologetic attitude with Chameli, wherein she played a prostitute who had absolute no qualms about her profession. The film saw Kareena effortlessly introducing the audiences to the mind of a young sex worker which had no grudge or hatred towards the society that looked down upon her. In fact, apart from impressing the viewers, Chameli also strived to instill the feeling of dignity among sex workers.

Path breaking heroines

Rani Mukherjee

An actress whose primary assets have been her beautiful hazel eyes and her husky voice, Rani Mukherjee had to do away with both of these in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black. The film saw the actress flawlessly playing the role of a blind and mute girl. While initially Rani was reluctant to play the role since she doubted her acting capabilities, once she accepted it, there was no looking back. The actress even spent time at the Helen Keller Institute to get into the skin of her character. The intensity with which she put forth the emotions of her character rendered the audiences speechless.

Clearly, these actresses have risked careers to leverage the portrayal of women in Indian cinema to another level altogether.

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TheBlackJaguar

@TheBlackJaguar

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Posted: 17 years ago

Originally posted by: Theatre
Disagree With a lot of them!!!

Elaborate. It could be a good discussion.😃

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bunbutt_too

@bunbutt_too

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Posted: 17 years ago

Path Breaking Heroines....

without a mention of Nutan or Waheeda Rehman. Maaf kijiyehga lekin iin donoh keh bagair yeh poora qissa bahut hee budmaaza hain, jaisa namak bagair kah khana.

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193980

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Posted: 17 years ago

Which path did Shabana, Kajol, Tabu (one of my favs.but still😃), Rani and Kareena break? 😕

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Mistyy

@Mistyy

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Posted: 17 years ago

why is Madhuri not there? 😕

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salt

@salt

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Posted: 17 years ago

I am surprised Kareena made it on the list, but Madhuri didn't? 😲

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salt

@salt

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Posted: 17 years ago

Originally posted by: piya_y116
why is Madhuri not there? 😕

Exactly my thought!

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salt

@salt

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Posted: 17 years ago

Originally posted by: Maya_M

Which path did Shabana, Kajol, Tabu (one of my favs.but still😃), Rani and Kareena break? 😕

My guesses the author was thinking..

Rani: Black
Kareena: Jab we met
Kajol: Not sure. But I think Gupt?
Tabu: Not sure.
Shabana: Not sure.

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Antlers

@Antlers

Sparkler

Posted: 17 years ago

Originally posted by: nitica_82

Elaborate. It could be a good discussion.😃

Um Kajol,Rani and Kareena should not be there and Sri Devi Too. Kajol first of all has done only same kinda of roles. expect, Dushman and Gupt.... Rani- Black was the only one out of pace. Kareena. NO COMMENTS! Sri devi??? how does she even get to be there???

Like Bunny Said. Waheeda Rehman Should be there. Madhuri Dixit. I also think Ash should be there too.

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ritika

@Ritika2025

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Posted: 17 years ago

#10

Agree with Nadia, Nargis, Shabana Aajmi (For Arth,Masoom and many more movies) , Smita Patil and Tabu (for Maachis, Virasat, Hu tu tu, astitva, Chandni Baar, Namesake, Cheeni Kum)

But not the Rest...

I think It should have had Waheeda rehmaan too (For movies like Sahib biwi aur gulaam, Guide etc) And maybe in recent times, Konkana sen sharma (for movies like Page 3, Mr and Mrs Iyer, Dosar, Metro, 15 park avenue, Traffic signal etc )

As for Sridevi,...agreed she did a fantastic job in Sadma, Bt it was Just one movie..Most actresses have done atleast one movie out of their ordinary image..
If just one movie makes a difference , then even Priyanka should have been in the list for aitraaj...

Among the famous recent ones, I feel only Priety has done anything a little bit out of the ordinary...For starting her career with Kya kehna. (not that i am saying that she shud have been in the list) And for her portrayal of women in Sangharsh, Lakshya

As for the rest, I dont think Rani deserves it at all 😒 (except for Black, which in itself was not a path breakng movie, though a gud one)

Kajol has done a few different roles in Gupt, Dushman And so has kareena in dev, Refugee.... But so far these three not created anything worth remembering for the next few decades (If u overlook the cult romance DDLJ)

SO IMHO they shudnt have been in the list...

Actually why does Even Madhuri deserve to be???

Edited by Ritika2025 - 17 years ago