Celebrating the women of Bollywood

Celebrating the women of Bollywood

women in roles that broke new grounds in Bollywood

Rani Mukherjee in No one Killed Jessica: She is locked in a passionate embrace but the moment her work-phone beeps, she is ready to leave her lover high and dry and asks him to 'fly solo'. Rani Mukherjee's Meera Gaity is a no-nonsense journalist who does yoga at work, smokes non-stop and mouths expletives without thinking twice.



Gul Panag in Turning 30: Gul Panag managed to portray the worries of every woman who is at the verge turning three-decades-old. Not only that, the film celebrated the liberation from the usual Bollywood clichés. So here, we have the girl spooning the boy instead of the other way around, lingerie being discussed openly by the women and sex doesn't need to lead to marriage.



Priyanka Chopra in 7 Khoon Maaf: Apart from the seven makeovers that Priyanka Chopra goes through, here is a heroine who is vulnerable and vicious at the same time. Priyanka's Susanna is vain and cruel and doesn't think twice before bumping off her husbands. She doesn't try to take a moral stance to her acts and instead revels in the dark and twisted nature of her deeds.



Kangna Ranaut in Tanu weds Manu: Tanu finishes a quarter bottle of vodka and passes out before her suitor comes to see her. She blatantly chooses a ruffian as her life partner instead of a well-to-do NRI doctor. Despite the bad acting by Kangna Ranaut as Tanu, the film managed to break the sati-savitri image of the Indian woman.



Shraddha Kapoor in Luv Ka The End: A modern take on break-ups, not all is lost when it comes to revenge. This girl empowerment story is a delightful take on 'getting back' at the ex. It also knocked over few other Bollywood clichés and went ahead to show few gusty women- The ditzy grandmom, the new age single mom and the bratty sister.



Mahi Gill in Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster:This fiesty choti rani is a far cry from the petulant choti bahu from 'Saheb, Biwi aur Gulam'. A half-century between the two also highlights the changing portrayal of women in Indian films. Unlike choti bahu, Mahi Gill's choti rani doesn't take solace in just alcohol when her husband ignores her. She goes ahead and beds her driver. Perhaps something Meena Kumari's choti bahu would have never imagined.



Vidya Balan in Dirty Picture: 'Mujhe jo chaiye, uska mazaa sirf raat to aata hai'she tells a blushing Tusshar Kapoor. Vidya's silk is blatant about her sexuality, which almost borders into arrogance.In a country of repressed sexuality, Vidya's role was a breath of fresh airand her cheeky lines were an instant hit. Naturally, the film managed to deliver what it promised- 'Entertainment,



Nargis Fakri in Rockstar: When Heer asks Jordan to accompany her for an adult film 'Jungli Jawani', the hero and the audience both are stumped. Here's a woman who wants to drink 'tharra', goes to a shady cinema hall and doesn't care two hoots about what others thought. Way to go.

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