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New roles for our leading ladies
The leading ladies of Bollywood have always tried challenging roles. Often, the character they find most difficult to enact is a sex worker. That could be why they crave opportunities to play one. From Meenakumari to Madhuri Dixit, many leading ladies have portrayed the role of courtesan.
Rani Mukerji has, so far, played one the most number of times in Bollywood. She did a brief but important role in The Legend of Bhagat Singh. She then played a sex worker in Laaga Chunari Main Daag. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus Saawariya saw her play a similar character. Ironically, while her acting was especially noticed in all three films, they didn't do well at the box-office. What's more, all films had well-established male leads.
Former Miss World Aishwarya Rai also played a courtesan in the period film Umrao Jaan, opposite hubby Abhishek Bachchan. Industry sources say love bloomed between the two on the sets. Unfortunately, the film didn't work as well as their relationship. Former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen did a Chingaari to prove her acting prowess, only to find the movie was a washout at the box office. Former Miss India Neha Dhupia got recognized as a 'bold' actress though, with her performance as a sex worker in the highly acclaimed Julie. Even the 'bubbly' Preity Zinta, who has mostly played cute girl-next-door, attempted the role of sex worker in the Salman Khan-starrer Chori Chori Chupke Chupke. Interestingly, her change of image proved good for the film and it did wonders at the box office, in India and overseas.
We wonder what's behind the fascination of stars with the character of a courtesan, especially considering most such films fail to make it at the box office.
The leading ladies of Bollywood have always tried challenging roles. Often, the character they find most difficult to enact is a sex worker. That could be why they crave opportunities to play one. From Meenakumari to Madhuri Dixit, many leading ladies have portrayed the role of courtesan.
Rani Mukerji has, so far, played one the most number of times in Bollywood. She did a brief but important role in The Legend of Bhagat Singh. She then played a sex worker in Laaga Chunari Main Daag. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus Saawariya saw her play a similar character. Ironically, while her acting was especially noticed in all three films, they didn't do well at the box-office. What's more, all films had well-established male leads.
Former Miss World Aishwarya Rai also played a courtesan in the period film Umrao Jaan, opposite hubby Abhishek Bachchan. Industry sources say love bloomed between the two on the sets. Unfortunately, the film didn't work as well as their relationship. Former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen did a Chingaari to prove her acting prowess, only to find the movie was a washout at the box office. Former Miss India Neha Dhupia got recognized as a 'bold' actress though, with her performance as a sex worker in the highly acclaimed Julie. Even the 'bubbly' Preity Zinta, who has mostly played cute girl-next-door, attempted the role of sex worker in the Salman Khan-starrer Chori Chori Chupke Chupke. Interestingly, her change of image proved good for the film and it did wonders at the box office, in India and overseas.
We wonder what's behind the fascination of stars with the character of a courtesan, especially considering most such films fail to make it at the box office.
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