Bollywood sees a new breed of leading ladies who are as confident as the characters they portray.
When Neena Gupta is asked her views on how women are represented in Indian film and television, she laughs sarcastically and says, “We do exist in a society where — like it or not — rape, dowry deaths and physical violence still persist. So, what our industry — especially the medium of television — showcases is really a slice of it. But yes, it’s getting a bit too regressive. Where are the roles for women in our industry today?”
If Gupta, a veteran in the industry, is, by her own admission, struggling with “three, very bold and realistic scripts that are still waiting to be picked up”, she’s also hoping that the change in the film industry will encourage her to don the director’s hat soon. But why should someone like her wait at all? After all, her directorial effort on television gave birth to Saans, a weekly serial which showcased the story of a simple, middle-aged housewife and her struggles.
While Gupta pauses for a response, newbie Sonam Kapoor tells us: “I just love being in films. And am I not lucky that I’m in Bollywood at this time, when there’s such a positive change? Rakeysh [Om Prakash Mehra, director, Delhi 6] didn’t feel the need to audition me as he was convinced of my role as Bittoo, the character I play in the film.” She does make an interesting point, despite the fact that in both Saawariya (Kapoor’s debut film) and Delhi 6, she portrays a “simple girl with dreams in her eyes”. Kapoor interprets it as someone with, “a very, very strong mind”.
Kapoor says her characters Sakina and Bittoo, respectively, may wear “long, flowing kurtas” or cover their heads while visiting temples or serving cool sherbets to “interested” families who come visiting for a dekko. They are projected as being independent. According to Kapoor, her real-life independence gets reflected in her reel life too. “I have been lucky that both my directors have wanted their women protagonists to be smart and sassy. It doesn’t matter if they’re dressed in kurtas. What matters eventually is the attitude, which they wear on their sleeves,” she grins.
In fact, Mahie Gill, Chandigarh’s latest export to Bollywood, nods confidently when we begin talking on the subject of women in Bollywood. It’s been a long journey for Gill. From being ticked off by an elderly relative who was disgusted that she was audacious enough to ask for a puff of a cigarette on the silver screen, to being the first on-screen sexually aware Paro, Gill is finally breathing easy.
Having been in Mumbai for the past four years, Gill, without being melodramatic about her struggle, says, “It was tough to survive initially and it’s not been smooth sailing.” She found it particularly difficult because she was waiting for a woman-oriented role. “I wanted a start like Paro,” she says. “It’s not every day that you find a director who meets you while you’re dancing wild at a party and offers you a role,” Gill says.
In fact, the scene in DevD where Paro, as a young bride, breaks into a frenzied dance at her own wedding was added because director Anurag Kashyap remembered her dancing with the same zest at the aforementioned party. Simply put, Kashyap created the role of Paro after he was convinced that Gill alone could play that role — not teary-eyed and submissive, but someone who is sharp and confident.
But will women actors like Gill, Tisca Chopra, Kalki Koechlin, to name a few, manage to make a difference in commercial cinema as well? Rajat Kapoor, the man behind films like Mixed Doubles, Raghu Romeo and Mithya tells us: “Gul Panag and Neha Dhupia, both mainstream actresses, have reinvented themselves by simply associating themselves with some unique projects like Manorama Six Feet Under and Ek Chalis ki Last Local. Despite small roles, these actresses have worked with some of the most respected names in the industry.”
Kapoor says that the industry, despite being sexist (by and large there’s an absence of strong roles for women which are often sensationalised, for example, Meghna Mathur in Fashion or the clichéd characterisation in Luck by Chance, he says) is still offering a chance to some young, talented actresses who consciously want to play unusual characters. “A talented actress like Kalki, unfortunately, will have to wait for a long time, especially if she’s not willing to compromise on the roles that she’s offered,” he says.
For her part, Kalki Koechlin agrees. “Mumbai is the place of change right now. We are seeing some fascinating alternative cinema today,” says the actress. She’s gone back to theatre for the time being, promising herself that she’s in no hurry. “I really can’t dance, so what’s the point in even saying that I aspire to be a Bollywood star,” she says, convincingly. “I know in today’s times I can have my own little creative space as an actor.” Perhaps you’re right, Kalki. Far from the Swiss Alps or Hawaiian beaches — where she used to shoot for just one song — Katrina Kaif in the backwaters of small-town India, wrapped not in designer outfits but in Bhagalpur silk sarees, is doing Prakash Jha’s Rajneeti.
