Journalism of Courage
These are heartening times indeed. Bollywoods femme fatales are proving that they are no mere crumpets,happy playing second fiddle in the filmi sweepstakes. Kangna Ranaut,the unconventional beauty from Shimla,after proving that she can pull off more than self-destructive roles,is now unstoppable. The young girl has found herself a friend in every heroines favourite starSalman Khanand is letting the world know it. There is also something about an impromptu vacation with Hollywood actor Gerard Butler and then some more.
Ranaut is not alone. As the headlines of news dailies display,Bollywood women are finding their own voice and attitude. They are increasingly a far cry from the Ask mummy stereotype. Bollywood women are boldly stepping out of their vanity vans to speak their minds on matters both personal and professional.
Sample this: Deepika Padukone has proved that having a delicious arm-candy is not merely a heros prerogative and she is no exception. Bipasha Basu,Katrina Kaif or Vidya Balan,are all out there living by the adage,Whats sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
Priyanka Chopra may not go beyond the We are good friends line on Shahid Kapoor,but she has laid claim to the title of Shero (the female hero,if you will) much endorsed by none less than King Khan himself.
Kareena Kapoor is successfully keeping marriage at bay till the time is right,beau Saif safely by her side and producers queuing up at her doorstep.
Rani Mukerji,after No One Killed Jessica,has proved that actresses can come back with a bang too,hits and flops notwithstanding.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan,as mentioned in last weeks column as Cannes red-carpet favourite,has rewritten the rules for actors in the international space,while Hema Malini,Kajol,Madhuri Dixit,Shabana Azmi,Sharmila Tagore,Tabu and Waheeda Rahman have proved that there is room for more.
Off-camera too,women are making their presence felt like Ekta Kapoor. Farah Khan (never mind the fate of Tees Maar Khan) is among the most sought-after director,as is Zoya Akhtar and more recently,Kiran Rao! A whole lot of actors are willing to say,I do with these ladies. And to further strengthen their lot,it is encouraging to see actresses Lara Dutta,Dia Mirza and now Ameesha Patel turn producers or contemplate careers behind the camera.
In a highly chauvinistic industry these are encouraging signs indicating a turn towards a more egalitarian balance of power.
And hopefully,in time to come,women will lead by example.
