Cover Story BOLLYWOOD HEROINES Return SirensOF THE Bollywood’s women get better roles and bigger brands. In 2012, they will go from being beautiful Barbies to power performers. By Nishat Bari pregnant Vidya Balan, 34, slowly walks down a bustling Park Street in Kolkata even as director Sujoy Ghosh and his camera crew struggle with milling crowds to capture the dejection of a woman in desperate search of her husband in Kahaani. The Acrowds wait for the shot to be taken but such is the rush to get closer to the screen Silk Smitha that Ghosh and his team have already been beaten up once. The Dirty Picture grossed Rs 114 crore worldwide in 2011 but Balan had already es- tablished herself as the hero: No One Killed Jessica with Rani Mukherjee made Rs 36 crore in January 2011. Bollywood women have not looked back since Madhur Bhandarkar’s Fashion in 2008. The film saw Priyanka Chopra, 29, sleeping her way to the top in the film, Kangna Ranaut,24, dying of a drug overdose, and Mugdha Godse, 25, the cleanest living model of the group, marrying a gay D KAREENAKAPOOR She was a quirky hairstylist from Los Angeles, Jun Riana Braganza in Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu opposite Imran Khan, is a Pakistani agent in Agent Vinod 1 KAREENA with Saif, and teams up with Aamir Khan and KAPOOR IN THE FORTHCOMING Rani Mukherjee for thriller psychological Talaash. HEROINE Then it’s time to play superstar on the skids Mahi Gill in Madhur Bhandarkar’s Heroine. Mar USP Beautiful, professional, can act. Endorses 14 brands 23 Cover Story BOLLYWOOD HEROINES D VIDYABALAN D KATRINAKAIF D PRIYANKACHOPRA D DEEPIKAPADUKONE Whether it’s promoting brands or higher,” she says. “The Dirty Picture Balan’s scorching lavani number, Mala She plays a pregnant She is an ISI spy in Ek Tha She plays an autistic girl in Romances Ranbir Kapoor selling movies with glamorous item shot through the roof to the extent that jau dya na ghari, to grab eyeballs. She woman in Kahaani, does an Tiger.Two weeks of shooting Barfee and Shahid Kapoor’s in Ayan Mukherjee’s Yeh songs, which are to Bollywood what car now there is a Bhojpuri film called can’t help recall the dark days after item number in Ferrari ki remain. She is currently in love interest in three differ- Jawani Hai Dewani, is back chases are to Hollywood, women have Dirty Pichkari,” she laughs. Suddenly, Heyy Baby (2007) and Kismat Konnection (2008), though. “I remem- Sawaari, and plays a comic London, shooting for an epic ent periods in Teri Meri in Ramesh Taurani’s Race 2, never had it so good in male-driven everyone wants a piece of her. Even Bollywood where all they did previ- mentor Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Three ber reading on a website that ‘she is role in Ghanchakkar. romance with Shah Rukh Kahaani. Reprises her role has Tamil film Kochadaiyaan ously, says a snide director, was audi- years were spent on developing the fa- so badly dressed I don’t know why USP Fake orgasms or Khan. Next up, action in opposite Hrithik Roshan in opposite Rajinikanth , and a tion for marriage. At 40 per cent, ther-son script of Chopra’s production she would even want to step out of Dhoom 3 with Aamir Khan. earthy abuses, she’s done Krrish 3, this time as his wife. dark love story Cocktail. women have a bigger share of celebrity Ferrari ki Sawaari, auditioning 5,000 home’. I think that killed me.” Now she it all. She can be fiercely USP From Sheila Ki Jawani USP Can be a glam diva USP Dances well, has a television endorsements than their children and shooting on location— doesn’t read news or watch television. maternal, sexually vora- to Chikni Chameli, she is the and desi girl. Connects with terrific body, likely to learn male counterparts at 38 per cent, ac- including at Lords in London—all in an The breakneck promotional rounds cious, dutifully dowdy. goddess of good luck. fans on Twitter. on the job, likeable. cording to TAM Media Research. If effort to chase excellence. Yet it is up to will cease only after March 9 when Endorses Five brands Endorses 11 brands Endorses Eight brands Endorses Eight brands Kareena tops the wish list of filmmak- ers, Katrina Kaif, 27, was the darling of the endorsement world in 2011, sec- the ond only to Shah Rukh Khan and ahead of M.S. Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar and KHANS Amitabh Bachchan, according to TAM. Eid No self-respecting movie is without an D SHAH RUKH KHAN 2012 item bomb to propel it. It helps the film He is shooting in England for a return to classic and the star. Not only does the star romance in 79-year-old Yash Chopra’s untitled pocket a fee for the song—Deepika epic with Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma. Padukone, 26, was paid Rs 1 crore for D SAIFALI KHAN Dum Maaro Dum—she also earns from He is the Indian James Bond in Agent Vinod,a repeated stage performances where spy thriller shot across nine countries, from the fee could go up to Rs 1.5 crore. As Latvia to Morocco. Saif’s pet project is Kareena says, “I am very clear. It’s a slated for release on March 23. He circus. Either give me an award or give also has Homi Adajania’s me a packet. Four years ago, I decided Cocktail,Race 2 and a cameo in I wouldn’t do private weddings.” Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK’s No apologies. No excuses. As Go Goa Gone. Priyanka says, “This is the best time to D AAMIR KHAN be a female lead in Bollywood.” She’s Aamir and Kareena make a on the phone from Hyderabad, having comeback in Talaash,Reema joined the Rs 100 crore super women’s Kagti’s thriller about the club with the success of Don 2 and murder of a superstar.Shot Agneepath. She is “doubly happy” be- almost entirely in Mumbai’s cause it comes after disappointment— red light district,he’s a po- her ambitious seven avatars in Vishal liceman,Rani Mukherjee his wife Mar Jul Nov Bhardwaj’s 7 Khoon Maaf failed at the and Kareena a prostitute who 9 13 30 box office in 2011 despite a brave per- knows more than she lets on. formance which had her being FHM india AFP YOGEN SHAH FOTOCORP D SALMAN KHAN sexually roughed up onscreen by He’s the star of Ek Tha Tiger, man. The film was Bhandarkar’s high- “first real holiday in a year-and-a-half” endorse, a beautiful Bandra apartment Irrfan Khan and being subjected to Yashraj Films’biggest movie in 2012. est grosser ever, at Rs 42 crore. when all she did was drink red wine she shares with Saif (“he has exquisite Annu Kapoor’s orgasm. It will be ready in time for his Kareena Kapoor, 31, knows all and eat fondue. She needed a break. taste,” she says) and just enough Female courage is being rewarded. favourite day of the year,Eid. about numbers: Of her 10 films since She has three big films this year: The money to shop (her mother invests the Ask Balan. She’s taking quick bites of SAIF 2009, four have crossed the Rs 100- globetrotting Agent Vinod with Saif rest), Kareena is now where she’s her lunch at The Trident in Mumbai in crore mark. At The Imperial hotel in where she plays a Pakistani spy; wanted to be since her debut in Refugee between day-long interviews for her Delhi for promotions of Ek Main Aur Talaash, where she is a prostitute who in 2001. “I never had the best of an forthcoming film, Kahaani. She’s just Ekk Tu, which went on to make Rs 58 tempts Aamir Khan, a married police- education, although I did pass Class X had three hours of sleep and is wonder- crore, she looks dew fresh from a 20- man investigating a superstar’s death from Welham Girls’ School with 75 per ing whether she will be on time for an day vacation in a Swiss chalet with in Mumbai; and a star in spectacular cent. I couldn’t have done anything award function in Goa at 8.30 p.m. long-time beau Saif Ali Khan. Smartly decline in Bhandarkar’s Heroine. else. There was no fallback,” she says. later in the day. “I feel like a bird in the attired in red J Brand trousers, blue What’s more, she has a Sanjay Leela But as she points out, “I never gave sky. To the rest of the world, it seems Ralph Lauren jacket and black Prada Bhansali movie lined up, with rising up. I was always ready for war. I had like the bird is really high but the bird boots, she sounds exhilarated after her star Ranveer Singh. Fourteen brands to faith in my talent.” knows that the sky is actually much 22 INDIA TODAY N MARCH 12, 2012 AAMIR SALMAN SHAH RUKH NEW AFP Cover story BOLLYWOOD HEROINES Kahaani releases. Then she gets a VIDYA BALAN IN A her parents or her shoot locations. SONG FROM FERRARI much-needed three-month break and SONG FROM FERRARI Between visiting Berlin Film Festival for KI SAWAARI a long overdue family holiday before ITEMnumbers a screening of Don 2 to attending the shooting begins for her first comedy, Grammy music awards in Los Angeles Rajkumar Gupta’s quirky Ghan- to signing a music album with Universal chakkar, with the star of the crass and D CHITRANGADASINGH adds the earthy Music to working on three films, underclass, Emraan Hashmi.