The five archetypes of Bollywood dream girls

From Devika Rani, Shobhana Samarth and Fearless Nadia to Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Aishwarya Rai, the Hindi film industry has produced a long line of celluloid dream girls; each reigning bevy of queens inevitably passing the baton to a new generation of young stars to allure and entrance their adoring audience. Since the ’60s, the female stars have reliably played to certain archetypes; their fans knew exactly what each of them would bring to a role, a film, a performance. There was predictability, yes, but also a signature style that defined a leading lady’s particular appeal that stamped her place in our hearts. But in this new era of assembly-line gloss and glamour, has the new generation really carried the baton forward? The Tragedy Queen: They swept through the film looking ravishingly sad, their eyes filled with unspeakable suffering, singing songs that tore at the heart. Heroines of the so-called three-hanky film offered release and catharsis. Women stormed the cinema halls, eager to weep along with them so they could go home fresh and purged of their sorrows. Meena Kumari with her large, limpid eyes and romantic curls heads the list. Whether dancing through Pakeezah or drinking her way through Sahib Biwi Aur Gulam, she fought her way through the odds the directors piled up against her. [caption id=“attachment_98336” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“The present-day heroine lacks the emotional depth to make us weep. AFP Photo”]  [/caption] Close on her heels is Rakhee, who took on some of her idol’s mannerisms along with her mantle. Bengal’s Suchitra Sen memorably donned the mantle in Mamta, and Aandhi, where despite the double role, her suffering image came up trumps. By the time Shabana and Smita made a bid for the slot with films like Aarth, and Bhumika, commercial cinema was already writing the requiem for the tragedy queen. The present-day heroine lacks the emotional depth to make us weep, and so their roles don’t demand it of them either. Preity Zinta tried hard in Veer Zara, and Tabu comes close in her Shabana-style feminist roles. But epic female suffering is clearly out of style. The tragedy queen is the stuff of cinematic history! RIP The Sex Kitten: Bold, uninhibited, with a great figure and an attitude to match. Think Sharmila in An Evening in Paris or Mumtaz with her tweaked-up nose and sexy cholis. Zeenat upped the oomph factor while swinging on a hammock in a two-piece in Heera Panna, and stuck-to-the-skin saris in Satyam Shivam Sundaram. The sex kittens looked delectable in whatever they wore! In comparison, despite her exquisite Miss World looks, Aishwarya in her skimpy shorts and mini-skirts in Dhoom 2 looks like she’s trying way too hard. Ditto Katrina. One is too cold, the other too much of a Barbie doll. Sex kittens need to purr and undulate, they need curves and coquetry. I would give Ash a 5 on 10, and Katrina a 6 in the oomph catagory. Bipasha has the oomph and a natural sex appeal to take the title. Sadly, the roles are few and far between! As for the dare-all, bare-all Mallika Sherawat. Sorry girl, it’s not what you show but how you show it! The Tomboy: This was the kind of heroine who went all out to prove that girls will be boys. The tomboy on screen ensured that women too got their share of fun and frolic, at least till she falls in love and decided to abandon her wild ways for the man. Jaya Bhaduri was effortless in Guddi. Tanuja was mischief incarnate, her eyes spilled the stuff, and her irrepressible laugh was proof that she cared not a damn what the rest of the world thought. Our tomboys weren’t always plain Janes. Madhubala found her metier in Mr and Mrs 55 and never lost her impishness, teasing her heroes with song and pranks, and never really giving in. The curvaceous Asha Parekh managed to pull off the image in movies like Dil Deke Dekho and Ziddi. Kajol was their rightful heir in her early movies, a smart daughter taking a leaf from mama Tanuja’s book. But now that she’s graduated to more mature roles, we’re left at best with Soha Ali Khan. Kareena showed signs of promise in Jab We Met but has since settled for playing eye-candy in hero-centred flicks. Continues on the next page The Actress: We’ve had plenty female thespians in the past. Nargis, Nutan, Waheeda, Mala Sinha,and Nanda, each able to hold their own against a Dilip Kumar or Rajesh Khanna. They could play any role with ease, be it the college girl, the urban sophisticate, the rural innocent., even split personalities… and they each had a style all her own. Smita and Shabana were the true inheritors of their mantle, but they lacked star quality. Ditto Tabu. They could never attain true stardom. Rani would have made the grade, but is whimsical and not quite professional. Madhuri now is too old, and the talented Sridevi was too shrill. Kareena? See above. The only we hope we have is Vidya Balan, down-to-earth, and fully able to inhabit each role without putting on starry airs. And we are still waiting for Chitrangada to show that she can match the talent she showed us a glimpse of in Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi. The Diva: Aah!, their off-screen persona was as big as the roles they played on screen. They sparkled and allured, and frequently vanished leaving us wondering, wanting more. Vyajanthimala, Rekha, Dimple… who can match their stature today? The current crop of A-list heroines look sadly bland in comparison. Hmmm, maybe a Kangana… if only she had a bit of class!