Over the last couple of years, I
have observed a rising tide that refuses to ebb. The trend if it is here to
stay heralds the celebration of a new era of womanhood and its portrayal in Hindi
cinema. Unlike the female leads in commercial cinema of the ‘90s who had a
mandatory 5 songs, 5 scenes and 5 dialogues inclusive or exclusive of a rape
scene, this new genre of films is upholding everything a female lead should
actually stand for: independence, confidence, assertiveness, a taste for the unconventional
and decision making without the presence of a hero to serenade/support her. And
yet, she isn’t boring, dominating, bitchy or despicable. She is in fact turning
the rules and scope of characterisation of a heroine in a typical Hindi film on
its head and singing ‘Main Heroine Hoon’ in her own tune. Still wondering who
or what I am talking about? A handful of post-millennium films may help you get
the point better:
Tanu Weds Manu/Returns: It all started with what looked like a
relatively low budget, small town film starring no big superstars but the
occasionally seen Madhavan and Bhatt camp success story Kangana Ranaut who had
established her acting credentials with Fashion, Life in a Metro and numerous
Vishesh Film banner films with Emraan Hashmi like Gangster. The film released in 2011, and marked what
would become a rage in coming years- the demure, chaste and soft-spoken small
town girl had suddenly gone bold, brash and boisterous. She had men eating out
of her hands and could balance her numerous suitors on the tip of her finger.
Men in this film were left with the job of wooing their way in to her heart
while she was the one who took the ultimate decision of who her life partner
should be. Come 2015, the cult film which had by now captured a fan following
doubled the fun with two characters in the sequel and Kangana reprising her
role of Tanu, who had now gone wilder and whackier. The film’s plot may have
bordered on the absurd but it had a nation laughing at the sorry state of
affairs families and more importantly the so-called heroes in the film were
reduced to.
Queen : Straight after Tanu Weds Manu hit the hall of fame, Kangana
bagged another role which would catapult her to the A-list category of stars in
Bollywood and take her box office value in to the big ticket bracket. As Rani
she manages to shine through her transition from a shy Delhi girl to a no-holds
barred spurned bride who bears no regrets or ill-will towards her fiancée whatsoever.
As someone who takes off for her own honeymoon solo, she finds an able
companion in the svelte Lisa Haydon instead of a regular knight in shining
armour. This girl takes on the role of
‘Vijay’, incidentally the name of Rani’s fiancée who supposedly left her in the
lurch after jilting Rani on her wedding day. The girls paint the town red,
shake a leg and live it up in Paris- dissipating age old myths and melodrama associated with single women left to deal with
their traumatic past.
English Vinglish: Making an inroad in to this genre of cinema post
2000 was English Vinglish with Sridevi packing a crackling punch as a
subjugated homemaker who comes into her own during her trip to the US. English
as a language is used beautifully in the film to show her rediscovery as a person
with her own identity and voice. It is a medium she uses to translate her desi
avatar in to one that demands respect, love and equal space from her family
members.
NH10: Not a female-oriented drama as much as it is an action
thriller, this film stands out because of Anushka Sharma’s decision to produce
and star in a film that makes all the right noises about a woman in an
action-oriented role. It comes with a message without eulogising about nari shakti
and instead, depicts the consequences of the exploitation of women in almost a
matter-of-fact manner. My best moment in the film is the cold expression in
Anushka’s eyes when she goes about claiming vengeance in the climax of the
film. It’s not over-the-top and is executed in a slick and effortless fashion,
no ‘Jai Mata Di’ moment here. It’s all conveyed through the culminating
response of a woman reduced to little choice when it comes to seeking justice
for the wrongs inflicted upon her.
Tamasha: The film may have starred Ranbir Kapoor but I see it more
as a coming-of-age film for Deepika Padukone. She followed this up with Bajirao
Mastani the same year which was again hailed as one of her best perfomances
till date. The characters she played in both films may have spanned ages but
essentially have a lot in common. As Tara in Tamasha or Mastani in Bajirao
Mastani, Deepika has no qualms going up to the man she is in love with and
professing her love to him, knowing well that he holds the right to reject her.
She may be strong without losing that vulnerability every woman in love
experiences. Both characters have a mind of their own, live life their way
fully aware of the consequences of their acts and decisions, and are able to
pull back or rise to challenges head on. So much in one film speaks eons of
where female actors have reached today in terms of the length and depth of
their roles.
Highway/Kapoor & Sons: Alia Bhatt, the youngest entrant in this
list of bindaas bandis who with Highway and Kapoor & Sons lives up to the
spirit of a young modern woman who is unafraid of the realities around her and
yet is not going to drown herself in an emotional avalanche. Breaking
stereotypes of how a good girl should behave like, she chooses to do what she
likes, irrespective of how people judge her.
With more and more such heroines
coming to the fore thanks to some original and fresh writing and direction,
stereotypical stories can go for a toss and rightly so!
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