Everyone and everything evolves over time, even Bollywood, with one major exception — Hindi film actresses ! For the longest time, in fact, from the inception of cinema in India, actresses had stayed within the pativrata template. Now, in the 21st century, after seven-eight decades of paying homage to patriarchy which had cruelly subjugated them, Hindi film actresses have not only discovered their identity but also the feminist voice, startlingly bold and dominating and so refreshing”- Opines Hirav Shah, Bollywood Adviser, Strategist, Consultant and Astrologer.
In this article, Hirav Shah lists down 6 famous actresses whose debut films as the female lead were successful and also, they are so very relevant even today !

1.Deepika Padukone

DOB

Deepika(Born on 5 January 1986, age 35 years) made her successful Bollywood debut with Om Shanti Om (2007), in her 22nd year, which also won her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.

Notable Films

Padukone received praise for her starring role in the romance Love Aaj Kal (2009), but this was followed by a brief setback.
The romantic comedy Cocktail (2012) marked a turning point in her career, and she gained further success with starring roles in the romantic comedies Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and Chennai Express (both 2013), the heist comedy Happy New Year (2014), Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period dramas Bajirao Mastani (2015) and Padmaavat (2018), and the Hollywood action film XXX: Return of Xander Cage (2017). She also received critical acclaim for playing a character based on Juliet in Bhansali’s tragic romance Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013) and a headstrong architect in the comedy-drama Piku (2015), winning two Filmfare Awards for Best Actress. She formed her own company Ka Productions in 2018, under which she produced Chhapaak (2020), in which she also starred as an acid attack survivor.
She is awaiting the release of her 3 commercial films this year, including the most anticipated “83”

2. Anushka Sharma

Anushka Sharma promoting Zero
Bollywood Hungama, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

DOB

Anushka(Born On 1 May 1988, age 32)made her acting debut in her 21st year, opposite Shah Rukh Khan in the highly successful romantic film Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008).

Notable Films

She rose to prominence with starring roles in Yash Raj Films’ romances Band Baaja Baaraat (2010) and Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012). For playing an aspiring filmmaker in the lattermost, she won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. Sharma went on to earn praise for playing strong-willed women in the crime thriller NH10 (2015), and the dramas Dil Dhadakne Do (2015), Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016), and Sui Dhaaga (2018). Her highest-grossing releases came with the sports drama Sultan (2016), and Rajkumar Hirani’s religious satire PK (2014) and biopic Sanju (2018).
This year, Anushka will produce the drama series Mai about a middle-aged housewife fighting crime for Netflix.

3.Kangana Ranaut

Kangna Ranaut at the first look launch of 'Shootout At Wadala'
Bollywood Hungama, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

DOB

Three time National Awardee, Kangana Ranaut( Born on 23 March 1987, age 33 years) made her feature film debut in her 20th year, in the 2006 Hit thriller Gangster.

Notable Films

She received praise for portraying emotionally intense characters in the dramas Woh Lamhe (2006), Life in a… Metro (2007) and Fashion (2008). Ranaut featured in the commercially successful films Raaz: The Mystery Continues (2009) and Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai (2010), though she was criticised for being typecast in neurotic roles. A comic role opposite R. Madhavan in Tanu Weds Manu (2011) was well-received, though this was followed by a series of brief, glamorous roles in films that failed to propel her career forward. This changed in 2013 when she played a mutant in the science fiction film Krrish 3, one of the highest-grossing Indian films. Ranaut went on to win two consecutive National Film Awards for Best Actress for playing a naive woman in the comedy-drama Queen (2014) and a dual role in the comedy sequel Tanu Weds Manu: Returns (2015), which was the biggest-earning female-led Hindi film at the time. She then starred in a series of commercial failures, with the exception of her co-directorial venture, the biopic Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi (2019), in which she portrayed the titular warrior.

Ranaut’s 2021 releases will see her portray, the politician Jayalalithaa in the trilingual biopic Thalaivi and an action star in the film Dhaakad.

4. Alia Bhatt

Alia Bhatt graces the Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year awards (02)
Bollywood Hungama, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

DOB

Bhatt (Born On 15 March 1993, age 27 years), played her first leading role in Karan Johar’s Hit teen drama, Student of the Year (2012), in her 20th year.

Notable Films

She went on to establish herself with starring roles in several films produced by Johar’s studio Dharma Productions, including the romances 2 States (2014), Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014), and Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017); and the coming-of-age drama Dear Zindagi (2016). Bhatt won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress for playing a kidnapping victim in the road drama Highway (2014), and three Best Actress awards at the ceremony for playing a Bihari migrant in the crime drama Udta Punjab (2016), a spy in the thriller Raazi (2018), and the volatile girlfriend of an aspiring rapper in the musical drama Gully Boy (2019).
She is waiting for her 3 films to release this year including the most awaited “RRR”.

5. Ananya Panday

DOB

Panday (Born on 30 October 1998, age 22 years)made her acting debut in 2019 in her 22nd year, with the teen Hit film Student of the Year 2, co-starring Tiger Shroff and Tara Sutaria, which was produced by Dharma Productions.

Notable Films

Panday next starred in Pati Patni Aur Woh (2019), a remake of the 1978 film of the same name, alongside Kartik Aaryan and Bhumi Pednekar. She played a secretary who indulges in an affair with a married man, which was portrayed by Ranjeeta Kaur in the original. Panday appeared in the 2020 action film Khaali Peeli, co-starring Ishaan Khatter. She is slated to appear in Shakun Batra’s as-yet untitled 2021 romantic drama with Deepika Padukone and Siddhant Chaturvedi.She will also team with Vijay Deverakonda for Puri Jagannadh’s as-yet untitled multilingual film.

6.Bhumi Pednekar

Bhumi Pednekar 2018
ShreyD894, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

DOB

Pednekar(Born On 18 July 1989, age 31)made her acting debut with Sharat Katariya’s romantic comedy Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015) in her 27th year .

Notable Films

Pednekar rose to prominence by playing headstrong small-town women in the comedy-dramas Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017), Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017), Sonchiriya (2019), Bala (2019), and Pati Patni Aur Woh (2019).For her portrayal of the sharpshooter Chandro Tomar in Saand Ki Aankh (2019), she shared the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress, along with Taapsee Pannu.
Bhumi’s two films are slated for release this year, including the period drama Takht.

Conclusion

There was a lot about 2020 that was unprecedented. While this pandemic isn’t the first in human history, the entertainment industry has never grappled with anything on this scale before, and it’s safe to assume that it will never be the same again. Film festivals were cancelled. Productions were shut down. Studios went to war with exhibitors and it’s unclear if they’ll ever see eye to eye.
How does one find certainty, clarity and prosperity in the film world then ?

Well, “Through Astro-Strategy and Only This”- Concludes Hirav Shah, India’s Leading Astro-Strategist & Business Astrologer.