The best actress from the 90's decade? - Page 3

It has Tabu in the list. 😊

Madhuri⭐️ is undoubtedly the numero uno from the 90s, because of her magnetic screen presence, dancing skills and star power / fan following.

She also proved to be quite a worthy successor to the great Sridevi. 👏

Madhuri faced tough competition at every stage of her career.👍🏼 She had to face established seniors like Sridevi, Meenakshi etc in the beginning of her career and she had many contemporaries like Neelam, Farah, Sonam, Juhi etc. None of them lasted long enough except Juhi.

In the 90s, Madhuri was pitted against younger performers like Kajol, Karisma, Urmila etc and by early 2000s (with the rise of Aish, Rani, Preeti), the competition became too tight for her

Madhuri co-existed with all of them👏 and was considered superior to them (barring Sridevi) until 2002, despite many of her films flopping at the BO.

Sadly Madz retired after having a child in 2002 and could not re-invent herself later on, despite trying hard multiple times. Sridevi, with her 2 films (English Vinglish and Mom) is still remembered for having a better 2nd inning than her.

Urmila was a complete package and she was pretty decent in all areas (acting, dance, looks, sex-appeal etc). But she never established herself like a star and did not make 'insider' connections with studios like YRF. She associated herself with RGV who became quite irrelevant in the 2000s.

Manisha could've shined more but she ruined her career because of her messy personal life.

Juhi relegated herself to primarily doing bubbly roles. By the time she reinvented herself, it was too late.

Kajol was great too and she has aged rather well out of all among the 90s batch (surgeries or whatever), but she had very limited dancing skills/grace.

Tabu is the only one who has continuously re-invented herself with changing times. She is in her own league now.

Karishma (not on the list) too had a great run in late 90s. Her transformation from being an awkward newcomer to a confidant performer was amazing. Sadly, she stopped being ambitious after Kareena debuted. Her career suffered because of her failed marriage also.

I have heard and read it was Babita who asked Lolo to go slow on signing projects and make way for Bebo. It is Babita who made Karishma take backseat to make for her younger sister. Karishma was also replaced in Lux and Airtel ads and Bebo was given those despite Refugee flopping.

Karishma was not less ambitious. She was puppet of Babita who was also behind her break up with Abhishek.

If I was Lolo, I would hate Babita for being unfair to me as a mother.

Anyway your analysis of 90s heroines is spot on. Well summed, accurate and fairly unbiased.

Originally posted by: atominis

I have heard and read it was Babita who asked Lolo to go slow on signing projects and make way for Bebo. It is Babita who made Karishma take backseat to make for her younger sister. Karishma was also replaced in Lux and Airtel ads and Bebo was given those despite Refugee flopping.

Karishma was not less ambitious. She was puppet of Babita who was also behind her break up with Abhishek.

If I was Lolo, I would hate Babita for being unfair to me as a mother.

I really don't understand why Babita made Lolo feel that her time was up and it was about time to settle down, get married and make way for Bebo. Karisma was like a giant star in late 90s and early 2000s. Like really huge A-lister.

Bebo's whole identity during her initial years was that she was Karisma's younger sister. Because that's how the public viewed Kareena .

Regarding marriage, Karisma and Abhishek looked like an odd pair though. Not sure what exactly happened behind the scenes. Abhishek was unanimously panned down as an actor and performer, especially in comparison to Hrithik. Maybe that made Babita hesitant about the marriage.

But it's definitely a fact that Babita interfered way too much in Karisma's life, both personal and professional.

I read an interview of Babita on Indiatimes back then that she felt Lolo had her time and now it was time to make way for Bebo.

She deliberately made Lolo cut down on work and ensured all prestigious ads and projects went to Bebo.

I would say Bebo's initial success and ads left by Lolo falling in her lap, are built on sacrifices of Lolo, gradually vacating stage and stepping out of limelight for making way for her and spare her from comparisons to her sister who was on top then with commercial and critical hits and national awards.

I feel sad how regressive and controlling Babita was. Babita has given Bebo far more freedom compared to Lolo. One can see difference in confidence and speech, body language of both sisters.

Karishma simply began giving up post Bebo's debut and went downhill after her engagement with Abhishek broke.

The marriage to Sanjay Kapur who was disloyal, older, divorced himself and was abusive to her, tried to share her with his friends, made her worse and crushed her spirit.

One can see how her looks and health have ruined and attempts at comebacks have failed while Bebo is still doing A list projects or podcasts or radio shows etc and positioning self as a feminist icon or yummy mummy.

Though Bebo also married an older, divorced man, but she did not make same mistakes as Lolo, whose blind obedience to her mom, effed her life.

Karishma could have gone far ahead and done more critically and commercially if she was not asked to cut down work to make way for Bebo who, indeed, had no identity till 2002, except as Lolo's younger sister.

Bebo used to literally tag along Lolo like kid everywhere. She began to come into her own after Lolo finally went off limelight after marriage.

Both could have co existed but I guess Babita wanted Bebo to be spared of comparisons to Lolo. Babita was competitive and wanted to put Bebo ahead of Ash, Rani, Preity too in 2001 as per her own interviews. There is a reason why Bebo had said she wanted to rule industry for next 10 years and was so overconfident.

Thank you for bringing up Karisma!

She was my favourite actress in the 90s❤️

Her energy, her dance, her style, her beauty - everything was just perfect. If there was one actress that I wanted to be like, it was Karisma.

Madhuri dixit. She did all.

Waise comparison inme banta nahi bcoz all were somehow great in their own league. ❤️

Originally posted by: atominis

I read an interview of Babita on Indiatimes back then that she felt Lolo had her time and now it was time to make way for Bebo.

She deliberately made Lolo cut down on work and ensured all prestigious ads and projects went to Bebo.

I would say Bebo's initial success and ads left by Lolo falling in her lap, are built on sacrifices of Lolo, gradually vacating stage and stepping out of limelight for making way for her and spare her from comparisons to her sister who was on top then with commercial and critical hits and national awards.

I feel sad how regressive and controlling Babita was. Babita has given Bebo far more freedom compared to Lolo. One can see difference in confidence and speech, body language of both sisters.

Karishma simply began giving up post Bebo's debut and went downhill after her engagement with Abhishek broke.

The marriage to Sanjay Kapur who was disloyal, older, divorced himself and was abusive to her, tried to share her with his friends, made her worse and crushed her spirit.

One can see how her looks and health have ruined and attempts at comebacks have failed while Bebo is still doing A list projects or podcasts or radio shows etc and positioning self as a feminist icon or yummy mummy.

Though Bebo also married an older, divorced man, but she did not make same mistakes as Lolo, whose blind obedience to her mom, effed her life.

Karishma could have gone far ahead and done more critically and commercially if she was not asked to cut down work to make way for Bebo who, indeed, had no identity till 2002, except as Lolo's younger sister.

Bebo used to literally tag along Lolo like kid everywhere. She began to come into her own after Lolo finally went off limelight after marriage.

Both could have co existed but I guess Babita wanted Bebo to be spared of comparisons to Lolo. Babita was competitive and wanted to put Bebo ahead of Ash, Rani, Preity too in 2001 as per her own interviews. There is a reason why Bebo had said she wanted to rule industry for next 10 years and was so overconfident.

It's a sad story for Karisma, for sure. But it can't just be Babita. Most actresses from the 90s could not survive the paradigm shift that happened in the 2000s. Lolo's case is sadder because her own family inadvertently caused her downfall.

From being a huge A-lister to the 'retired older sis of Kareena", all her achievements have faded under the glory of her younger sister's success. She is always relegated to the background.

Bebo eventually proved her mettle though, but one can't deny how privileged and "lucky" she had been all along. She freely dated guys (Shahid, Fardeen etc), spoke sh** about her contemporaries, acted like a diva on sets and rejected roles...and still kept getting work. Babita never interfered in her career or love life.

Coming back to Karisma, just watch the video below and in the end, you can see Lolo holding back her tears, as contestants danced on her old songs as a tribute to her career. Those tears were NOT of nostalgia. I personally think she looks back at her career and regrets all the decisions she took at the peak of her career.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL7Eq4DXcdw&ab_channel=LIVMusic

That Sanjay Kapur chapter in her life is tragic, considering it was an "arranged marriage" and Lolo did it in the insistence of her family.

That whole episode definitely did a number on her. Her voice also changed quite unnaturally after that.

In "The Making" videos of her old films, you'll notice that she used to be quite chirpy and vivacious.

No wonder she keeps her kids away from the limelight. They do not look like typical star kids also.