In this weekend’s blog, I am back with Hindi films. Bollywood is mainly a male-dominated industry, and most of the films have male-dominated characters, and generally, women are treated as props or objects of desire to be reduced to lesser fleshed-out roles. However, there have been times when portrayals by female actors in leading/side roles have stood out-gracefully tapping into the joys, sorrows, challenges, and complexities of women.
Here are some female characters of 21st century who have amazed and enthralled them with their distinct, raw, and honest appeal.
1 Shashi Godbole-played by Sridevi in English Vinglish 2012
Here Sridevi played Shashi Godbole with such incredible dignity with her performance allowed the film to indict the family members without fully villainizing them. The way she walks, talks, hesitates and reacts varies from scene to scene. Even while she is learning a new language (English), she is essentially finding a new medium for her own.
2 Piku played by Deepika Padukone in Piku 2015
Be it in her confusion, torn between emotions and practicality over selling her ancestral house, or her silent scrutiny as she struggles to balance her life as a single successful woman with her life as a full-time daughter for her aging father, there is so much to Piku that’s said, and yet left unsaid. The relationship with her father is quite a layered one, as they have their moments of tenderness, affection, and concern clearly showing to each other. Deepika played the role of Piku with full conviction, and she was very successful in doing the same.
3 Neena Walia played by Dimple Kapadia in Luck By Chance 2009
Here the character of Neena is a successful yesteryear actress whose full-time job is to micro-manage her daughter Niki’s career, right down to bags under her eyes. She is also a seasoned hustler who knows how to get things done in the film industry. Neena turns on the charm when she wants her rich friend to bankroll her daughter’s debut film, and effortlessly switches to manipulative mom/manager when she needs the producer to spend more on designer clothes. What a performance by Dimple Kapadia, which was not a leading role but a supporting role.
4 Vidya Bagchi played by Vidya Balan in Kahani 2012
The film is about who is Vidya Bagchi. When she arrives in Kolkata, a pregnant woman looking for her missing husband. By the end of the film, an enigma. She is an alone woman navigating a world full of men-nice, rough, psychopathic. She kicks ass without so much killing a fly, mixing braininess with compassion, as she takes us for the ride. Brilliant performance by Vidya Balan.
5 Durga Devi Kaushik played by Surekha Sikri in Badhai Hi 2018
Looks like this role was meant for Surekha Sikri only. She was a delightful mix of humour, sarcasm, warmth, and brashness, all unapologetically packed together. In a chaotic but fun film with some brilliant performances, it was she who brought an extra sense of chuckle that left the viewers in splits. There was an effortless charm in her character that made her turnaround from the mocking, savage woman to an emphatic, understanding mother-in-law, who’s genuinely grateful for her daughter-in-law looks believable.
6 Rani played by Kangana Ranaut in Queen 2013
The thing that strikes you about Rani is her vulnerability, and her will to not only face it but own it. She’s lived in sheltered life all along, fiercely protected by her family, and now, as she faces the kind of heartbreak that she had never seen coming, she finds herself on her own-wanting to face one other than herself. In her coming-of-age journey, she has experiences and friendships of a lifetime, becoming the woman who finally finds her light away from the shadows of those who, somewhere limited her flight. In an author-backed role Kangana was simply superb.
There is more on this topic, which I will cover in my next weekend blog.
Waiting for your views on this blog.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
24th March 2023