Women’s Day Special

Bollywood's best actresses. Ever.

All-time lists are tough.

Everyone has a different opinion, and this collection isn't discounting yours. It's just that we decided to celebrate Women's Day by putting our necks on the line and compiling the Top 10 Bollywood Actresses Ever.

The great women over the next few slides were picked based on acting skills, glamour, box office appeal, versatility and icon status -- and the fact that each of them became a figurehead for Bollywood, ushering in a new wave of cinema. They had their own eras.

Sunehri goes to Hollywood

Aishwarya Rai

She's set tongues wagging at Cannes, shared screen space with Ben Kingsley (in the forthcoming The Last Legion), draped a sari over Oprah Winfrey, and done dinner with Clint Eastwood and Harvey Weinstein. Opinions are undeniably divided over her histrionic abilities, but Ms Rai is the face of Bollywood, making unprecedented headway toward Western shores. From her well-received debut in Mani Ratnam's Iruvar back in 1997, 10 years on she has just silenced critics with a strong performance in the filmmaker's Guru. This, weeks after she made men drool with Dhoom:2.

Off-screen, there's absolutely no debate on who makes the most consistent newsprint -- more has been written on Ash's impending nuptials with Abhishek Bachchan than on most issues of state. And people are still dying to know what she'll wear.

Nope, this one's iconic all right.

Woh nineties waali Simran

Kajol From as filmy a family can be, Shomu Mukherjee's daughter Kajol beat off both mother Tanuja and aunt Nutan to make this cut. And this isn't just because she starred in Bollywood's biggest boy-meets-girl blockbuster. Well okay, maybe a little bit.

Making her debut in 1992 with Bekhudi, Kajol went from badly to awfully dressed in film after film, paired opposite then-effeminate nawabs as heroes. She always had a disarming grin, but the potential didn't reach fruition until we saw her in Baazigar. Paired opposite Shah Rukh Khan, the energy levels went visibly higher, the chemistry crackled. Audiences were smitten even before 1995, when came Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge.

Kajol was the woman of the decade, filling in a considerably empty number-one slot on the heroine's list and making the throne her own. She abdicated for 5 years, but her return, even in 2006s abysmal Fanaa, was enough to wow audiences again.

Yun ki, a talkative dream-girl

Hema Malini An accomplished Bharat Natyam dancer, this one hit Bollywood like a whirlwind, storming the 1970s almost entirely. Legend has it that Hema was evicted from a Tamil film early on, the director declaring that she had 'no star quality.' Hindi cinema was quick to capitalise on this oversight, and the actress proved a breath of fresh air to the industry. Her achievement is all the more remarkable considering the tough competition in her time. On one hand were actresses like Zeenat Aman and Parveen Babi, and on the other stood tall the Angry Young Man. At a volatile time like that, Hema managed to draw audiences on her own with films like Seeta Aur Geeta.

She, of the whippersnapper tongue and casual grace, then went on to do a Basanti, and remains -- in this age of remakes -- the most inimitable part of Sholay. Armed with her trademark 'nahiin', Hema stood out with her defiant eyes and strong accent, and an indescribably strong screen presence.

For the record, Jeetendra and Sanjeev Kumar also proposed marriage; Dharmendra got lucky.

Mrs India

Sridevi Yet another of our landmark actresses to hail from the South, Sridevi got her first big break with the Tamil smash hit, Moondru Mudichu -- also one of Rajnikanth's early successes. Then came several films with both Rajni and Kamal Haasan, the Tamil cinema megastars, besides making great inroads into Telugu cinema as well.

Then came Bollywood's turn. Her second film, Himmatwala, was a superhit, earning her the dubious nickname Thunder Thighs. But the Indian male was more than interested, as Sridevi became a sudden, immediate star. Critical favourite Sadma established her as a capable actress, and she went on to star in several hits, largely through the 1980s.

Films like Mr India, Chandni and Lamhe show off her exquisite comic timing, her strength with emotions, her fierce and expressive eyes. Not to mention the fact that she was one of the best dancers in the biz.

She remains a great Bollywood influence ever since, with Shah Rukh Khan acting in the outlandish 1996 film Army, just for a shot at working with Sri.

Rosie, the paper flower

Waheeda Rehman A simple Hyderabad girl got her doctoral dreams nipped in the bud by a lung infection. Then came Bharat Natyam and a dose of Telugu cinema, after which came the filmmaker in shining armour. Guru Dutt watched one of her early songs, brought her to Bombay to play a vamp in his production CID.

The rest is screen yore: Dutt, the most influential Hindi filmmaker of the 1950s, found his muse. And the pair played on, gloriously, with films like Pyaasa, Chaudhvin Ka Chand and Kaagaz Ke Phool, showcasing Waheeda's luminous, fragile beauty to the fullest.

Then came what you call a reign. Waheeda Rehman's era stretched from the late 1950s to the 1970s, and her last hit film was last year's critical rave, Rang De Basanti. A versatile, stunning career, her great resilience and longevity is a great gift to followers of the acting craft.

And once you look into those eyes, there's simply no looking away.

A mystery wrapped in a riddle, Re

Rekha Born to Tamil superstar Gemini Ganesan and Telugu actress Pushpavalli, Rekha started off as a heroine opposite Dr Rajkumar in the Kannada hit, Goadalli CID 999. Her first Hindi film Saawan Bhadon was a huge success, and she found a place in Bollywood, largely as just another pretty face who could pout.

Her transformation began in 1976, when the actress did a film called Do Anjaane opposite Amitabh Bachchan. Suddenly critics noticed a gravity to her actions, a spark in her eyes. Films like Muqaddar Ka Sikandar were superhits, and she went on to star with Bachchan frequently, most notoriously in Yash Chopra's Silsila, the casting of which led credence to real-life rumours of an affair with Amitabh.

And while she might have imitated the Amitabh swagger, the confidence she got from those films helped her metamorphose into Bollywood's most enigmatic leading lady. The actress developed a personal style, crafting her look in great detail and working hard on make-up, blossoming into a graceful, poised beauty. Timeless indeed.

The Queen from Khandala

Rani Mukerji The odds were stacked against her. Rani's 1996 Bollywood debut, Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat, was a washout. Her cousin Kajol was the industry's top actress. And her much-awaited big feature with Aamir Khan wasn't looking to hit screens anytime soon. Rani bit her lip and bided her time. Then came Ghulam, and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai with Shah Rukh Khan. Wow. Rani slogged her way with grit and immense drive, working doggedly at the mediocre parts she seemed to be attracting. The films might not have gained ground, but a high-intensity, extremely natural actress was waiting to burst out. Shaad Ali's Saathiya proved a forerunner of things to come as Rani made the 2000s her own, solidifying her success with films like Yuva, Bunty Aur Babli, Paheli, Hum Tum and Black.

Lots of milestones still to go for this one, but Rani Mukerji is decidedly one of the finest actresses to rule that number one roost. Without question, the most powerful leading lady in Bollywood today.

The myth of narcissus

Nargis Taking her screen name from the fragrant flower, actor Anwar Hussain's sister Fatima made her first appearance in 1935's Talashe Haq, credited as Baby Nargis. She grew up to make some of Bollywood's most unforgettable romances, her time stretching from the late 1940s to the 1950s. And not just was she a romantic heroine. Nargis, an incredibly versatile actress, did it all -- from Awaara to Chori Chori, Shree 420 to Aag and Barsaat. Diametrically different roles all, showing off her powerful acting talents -- believable dramatics, prodigious comic timing, a natural effervescence, and an ability to instinctively steal the scene from under her co-star's feet.

Paired most often with Raj Kapoor -- to give us that iconic black and white rain-soaked frame -- Nargis is also the one silhouetted with the actor in the everlasting RK Studios logo. As if we needed a symbol for the stunner who went on to mother Bollywood -- and the nation.

Wet, wild and on the run, honey

Madhubala Arguably the best looking woman in Bollywood history, Madhubala scorched the screen in a tragically short life, giving us much to remember her by, wistfully. The gorgeous actress was a Nargis-contemporary (and close personal friend), but did entirely her own, very different thing. Spirited, energetic and a classical beauty, Madhubala became bigger than heroes of the era.

After a breakthrough role opposite Raj Kapoor in Neel Kamal in 1947, Madhubala turned hauntingly ethereal opposite Ashok Kumar in Mahal. She went on to star with all the other top leading men -- Rehman, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand -- and managing, effortlessly, to emerge as the talking point from the films, be it the breezy Mr & Mrs 55 or the epic Mughal-E-Azam.

Her name was enough to light up a theatre-owner's proud marquee, and her smile made her Kishore Kumar's magnificent muse -- starring opposite him in extremely memorable films, like Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi and Jhumroo.

With eyes to stop a clock -- Indian magazines referred fawningly to her as 'Venus of the screen' -- and a natural ability to flit from heartbreakingly romantic to hilarious in an instant, Madhubala is the definitive screen goddess, compared often to the great Greta Garbo.

"A-ha!"

Madhuri Dixit India's sweetheart. Madhuri Dixit is the actress, an all-time chimera of the quintessential Bollywood heroine. From danseuse to dunce, from dreamy to droll, from Dayavan to dhak-dhak -- not just did she excel, but armed with that mega smile, she ruled over the nation with absolute power. Miss Dixit really broke onto the scene with 1988's Tezaab, the film establishing a few simple truths -- India had flipped for the Ding-dong-ding dance, Madhuri looked good with Anil Kapoor, and the lady sure could act. Then came a spate of films cashing in on that formula: hit musicians creating songs the Kathak dancer would give her own twist to, the everpresent Anil Kapoor and a meaty part for Madhuri. And while this string ran with great glee, soon it was apparent that the only key ingredient in the mix was Dixit herself.

Like Julia Roberts, Madhuri's box office appeal is universally contagious. Bollywood's highest paid actress, she was the first to charge prices equivalent, and even eclipsing, the top heroes; it is currently rumoured that fees for her comeback feature are astronomical. Either way, it's a terrific investment. Madhuri's films have enjoyed enormous appeal, even without mainline heroes, with audiences readily queuing up to see just the superstar on screen.

Madhuri braved possibly the worst fashion fiascos through her career and yet emerged on top -- a staggering achievement considering those 80s polka-dotted frocks. She's turned barefoot artists into filmmakers, young Khans into romantic heroes, wasted scripts into eminently watchable films, cornball farce into classic comedy, melodrama into mellow.

Heck, she even made marriage seem fun.

nutan is missin shabana azmi