Bollywood actresses: Defying the norm!

By HT

Mumbai, Feb. 11 -- Priyanka Chopra has spent 13 years in Bollywood. Kareena Kapoor Khan has been around for almost 16 years. Similarly, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Tabu have been active in the film industry for almost two decades now, while Katrina Kaif has had a career that spans 13 years.

Going by the time that these leading ladies have spent in the industry, they have, inarguably, defied popular belief that actresses have a short shelf life in Bollywood.

"Things have changed for Bollywood actresses. Women now play more interesting characters. Their roles in films have become important, which is a very good thing," says Tabu.

Film-maker Madhur Bhandarkar, who is known for making movies with female protagonists, feels that actresses now have more importance in the industry, because many directors make movies with important female characters.

He also feels that the ability to make films in smaller budgets has contributed to leading ladies gaining prominence. "The trend has changed in favour of actresses in the past 10 years, mostly because there are roles that are specially written for them. Today, besides doing commercial films, they also want to do good cinema," says Madhur.

Priyanka's character in Mary Kom (2014) and Anushka Sharma's in NH10 (2015) are among the many examples that testify that actresses no longer need to rely on the stardom of their male counterparts in films, and that they can do justice to a movie riding solely on their shoulders.

While director-writer Homi Adajania agrees that things have changed for the better for Bollywood actresses, he still feels they aren't as good for them vis-a-vis the actors.

"There has only been a slight change. It's inexplicable, but women do have a shorter run as compared to the actors. On an average, men seem to be able to play the lead anywhere between the age group of 28 to 50 years. On the other hand, most actresses are offered lead roles only between the age group of 22 and 33. I guess it's also a reflection of the audience's mindset," says Homi.