Priyanka Chopra to Taapsee Pannu – 6 Bollywood actresses who have broken the mold

The sketch of a Bollywood actress has changed a lot over the years, for better. Today, actresses are not heroines but, an equally important asset in a film along with the actors. The female characters have more depth today and are moving towards more nuanced forms. This wasn’t the case a few decades back.

It took constant work and the stubbornness of our female artists to make way not for themselves but, the characters they wanted to portray on screens. It has been a collective effort of a lot of female actors, who have brought a new side to how our films treat women.

Today, we will talk about actresses, who have set a new norm with their work.

1. Vidya Balan: Vidya is hailed in the media as ‘The Powerhouse’ of Bollywood. Her range of films has resulted in universal acclaim and earned her a huge fan base. She established as herself as one of the leading woman of Bollywood in a string of commercial and critically acclaimed films like ‘Paa’, ‘No One Killed Jessica’, ‘The Dirty Picture’ and ‘Kahani’. Her 2017 release ‘Tumhari Sulu’ was loved by critics and audience alike.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Vidya Balan (@balanvidya)

2. Shabana Azmi: Shabana ji is someone who doesn’t need any introduction. Backed by a host of successful films, power packed performances, accolades and awards galore, Shabana Azmi never chose to be different. That was just the way she was. With acclaimed films like, ‘Arth’, ‘Ankur’ and ‘Fire’ to name a few, Shabana Azmi was one the few actresses who merged the gap between parallel and commercial cinema. At a time when homosexuality was a taboo in Indian society and continues to be, she chose to play a lesbian lover to Nandita Das in Deepa Mehta’s controversial film ‘Fire’.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Shabana Azmi (@azmishabana18)

3. Tabu: A veteran in her own way who is so natural that one can’t believe this all is just an act in a film. Tabu is among the selected few actors who always excel as an actor and gives a tough bout to the male conterpart in the film. Her portrayal of strong characters in films like ‘Maachis’, ‘Astitva’, ‘Chandni Bar’ and ‘Drishyam’ have been widely appreciated worldwide.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Tabu (@tabutiful)

4. Taapsee Pannu: Taapsee is known for her unique choice of films. The actress made her Bollywood debut with Chashme Baddoor but, she soon changed gears with a 10 minute role in Baby which made people take notice of her. She followed this with a strong performance in Pink. Since then, the actress has been constantly upping the ante with her work. ‘Manmarziyaan’, ‘Game Over’, ‘Mulk’, ‘Badla’, ‘Mission Mangal’, ‘Saand Ki Aankh’ and ‘Thappad’ are some of her films that have made a mark and have changed the way actresses are portrayed in films.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Taapsee Pannu (@taapsee)

5. Priyanka Chopra: Making the nation proud all across the globe is none other than Priyanka Chopra, who has a lead role in a Hollywood show ‘Quantico’. But, breaking stereotypes started for PC way back in 2008, when she starred in the acclaimed film Fashion for which she won numerous accolades. Priyanka has time and again conveyed the message of women empowerment through her films like ‘7 Khoon Maaf’, ‘Mary Kom’ and ‘Jai Gangajal’.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Priyanka Chopra Jonas (@priyankachopra)

6. Karisma Kapoor: Karisma’s journey in Bollywood was a far cry from the fairy tale experiences that other star kids had. With a lineage as fine as hers, the Kapoor siblings were forbidden from working in the film industry. But Lolo fought all odds and made her debut at the tender age of seventeen and eventually established her self as one of the top actresses of the 90’s. Her success and struggle paved the way for her younger sibling Kareena Kapoor into Bollywood. With Raja Hindustani, she had her biggest commercial success and went on to play a supporting role in Dil Toh Pagal Hain opposite Madhuri Dixit, a role that many reportedly turned down including Twinkle Khanna, Aishwarya and Kajol. This won her the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress. Karisma took a step further by venturing into television, something that was uncommon for actresses at that time. Her journey and her confidence is something makes her a complete woman and a true inspiration.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by KK (@therealkarismakapoor)

Stay tuned to this space for more updates.

Also Read: Shilpa Shetty to Twinkle Khanna to Karisma Kapoor – 5 Bollywood hotties who turned writers and inspired us with their words

Ramesh Modi

Consulting Editor @ BollywoodBubble.
You can also find me on – https://twitter.com/RameshPModi