#10Year Challenge: Bollywood beauties
Success is a fickle mistress and there is no bigger yardstick of this than showbiz ... this is evident if we put our Hindi film leading ladies to the viral 10-year challenge. Here’s a look at what has changed in the womanscape in the last 10 years.
In 2009, Deepika Padukone proved for the first time that there was more to her than chiselled cheekbones and fancy footwork. Directed by Imtiaz Ali, the off-beat but successful Love
Aaj Kal offered the first glimpse of a performance by Deepika and lent her the aura of a potential star-actress. In the next decade from 2009 to 2019, Deepika evoked the envy of her competitors by bagging some of the best roles and becoming the bride of eligible bachelor, Ranveer Singh. Her hat-trick of major winners — Goliyon Ki Rasleela RamLeela, Bajirao Mastani and Padmavat — were directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. But Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Chennai Express and Piku have also been contributing factors to her burgeoning popularity. Today, Deepika has fulfilled the promise she first evidenced
10 years ago.
With Dostana and the heroine-dominated Fashion just behind her, Priyanka Chopra entered 2009 with a spring in her step and a National Award in her hand. But What’s Your Raashee made one wonder if her stars were truly in her favour. Vishal Bharadwaj’s Kaminey boosted her confidence and reportedly also sprouted a shortlived romance with Shahid Kapoor. Over the next 10 years, Priyanka has tasted success on Indian and international shores (Barfi, Mary Kom, Quantico). Ironically, she decided to get hitched (to singer Nick Jonas) in the same year as her arch competitor, Deepika, who was also her rival for attention in Bajirao Mastani. Currently, Priyanka seems to be a classic case of a woman trying to stay afloat with a foot each in two boats. She has opted out of the Salman Khan biggie Bharat but is doing Shonali Bose’s The Sky Is Pink and her name has been linked to a biopic on Ma Anand Sheela. Kareena Kapoor coasted on the stupendous success of 3 Idiots in 2009
though the film rode primarily on the bulky shoulders of the boys (Aamir, Madhavan, Shreyas) rather than her slender ones. Her other films that year ran the gamut from average to flop (Kambakht Ishk, Main Aur Mrs
Khanna, Kurbaan) and she has done a mixed bag of films in the decade since... they have all paled in comparison to her most memorable role so far – Geet in Jab We Met (2007) in which she was paired with her ex, Shahid Kapur. Kareena and Saif ’s chemistry translated into marriage but their onscreen pairing failed time and again (Kurbaan, Agent Vinod and even Happy Ending in which Kareena played a cameo). Their moppet, Taimur, however, has been in the news ever since he was born in today’s insta-news era. The paparazzi love Taimur; so much so that his governess has become a known face by default. In 2019, at 38, Kareena has had a recent hit with Veere Di
Wedding and is still in the reckoning. That’s significant if you consider that in 2009, at the age of 35, her sister Karisma had run out of steam as an actress despite continuing to look beautiful.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan didn’t have any film hitting the theatres in 2009 but that didn’t mean that her marriage to Abhishek Bachchan a couple of years earlier had nixed her chances. She was busy shooting for four big ticket releases – Raavan, Robot, Action Replay and Guzaarish. Subsequently, her priority seems to have shifted to motherhood. Today, her career has not been able to regain that earlier white heat but her name still adds value to a project.
Katrina Kaif blossomed in 2009 with Ajab
Prem Ki Gajab Kahani. In the next 10 years she enjoyed box office highs (Dhoom 3, Ek Tha Tiger) but was largely perceived as a Chikni
Chameli barring an occasional Raajneeti and Zero. In 2018, she had two crushing flops —
Thugs Of Hindosthan with Aamir and Zero with Shah Rukh. Now, the third superstar Khan, Salman, could prove to be her knight in shining armour with Bharat (2019).
Anushka Sharma was a fresh-faced newcomer ten years ago; but has built a successful career since. Currently, the actress is taking a breather after a busy 2018 (Pari, Sanju, Sui
Dhaga, Zero). Kangana, too, despite a National Award for Fashion, was still finding her feet in 2009, signing up even some hero-oriented projects. Today, it would be a brave filmmaker who would offer the Queen and Tanu Weds Manu star anything but a pivotal role.
In 2009, Alia Bhatt was a 16-year-old Ranbir fan, we knew of as Mahesh Bhatt’s daughter. In 2019, Alia is the most successful actor in the younger league, Ranbir Kapoor’s girlfriend and the face of every second ad campaign — a journey that debutante dreams are made of. A decade ago, Shradhha Kapoor was shooting for Teen
Patti (released in 2010) but it failed to prove to be an ace up her sleeve. She had to wait for
four years before she aced it with Aashiqui
2. A few recent flops were a stumbling block but the sleeper hit Stree (2018) has reignited her career. In 2019, Street
Dancer, Saaho and the Saina Nehwal biopic could land the shuttle of success back in her court.
My gut feeling: 2019 is going to witness a change of guard among the top ranking leading ladies.