Celebrities: The fabulous forties

Old is gold on the silver screen.

While times have changed and cinema trends are ever evolving with new stories, the stars on the silver screen are evergreen. From Lollywood’s Nadeem Baig to Tom Cruise in Hollywood, the twinkling stars of Tinselville continue to create waves with their on-screen persona.

Lollywood 

Pakistan’s film industry has had a string of blockbusters owing to its evergreen actors. Nadeem Baig, Javed Sheikh and Anjuman are enthralling the audience today just as they were few decades ago.

Nadeem Baig’s film career spans over 42 years and he continues to mesmerise the audience even today with his recently released Bhai Log. His 1977 film Aina is classified as the most successful film ever made in Pakistan as it ran in cinemas for eight consecutive years, according to IMDb.

Javed Sheikh made his acting debut in 1974 with Dhamaka and has since even carved a place for himself across borders in Bollywood by acting in blockbusters like Om Shanti Om and Namastey London.

The Punjabi siren Anjuman, whose sizzling thumkas and jhatkas captured the attention of many men, made her acting debut in 1973 and has an impressive roster of more than 160 films. She was last seen in the 2010 film Numberdarni, revealed IANS.

Bollywood

Bollywood can’t get enough of its good old, 40-plus actors. The Khans ruled the roost in the 1990s and after two decades, they are still calling the shots as they get the meaty roles, highest remuneration and maximum media coverage.

Salman, 45, proved he is still saleable with Dabangg, the biggest blockbuster of last year. The star is facing a receding hair line, but it is not coming in the way of his success. B-town ‘baadshah’ Shahrukh, who is coping with a back problem, is coming up with the two most awaited projects of the year — his mega-budget home production Ra.One and Farhan Akhtar’s Don 2: The Chase Continues.

There are also 51-year-olds Anil Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt who manage to enthuse audiences, no matter what. Sanjay Dutt entertained with Double Dhamaal recently, while Anil Kapoor is making headway to international shores with a prestigious project like Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol.

Bollywood heroines from decades gone by are making a return, defying the traditional career trajectory that consigned older, married Indian female actors to more minor roles or even retirement, reports AFP.

Most prominent among the comeback queens are Madhuri Dixit, 44, and Sridevi who were among the biggest names in cinema through the 1980s and 1990s. “Our society is changing and so are the attitudes of people,” said Dixit, who has moved back to Mumbai, from Denver, US. Sridevi, 48, married to Bollywood film producer Boney Kapoor, last appeared in Judaai in 1997.

She has lost weight to stand a chance of leading roles in the image-conscious industry and has begun shooting a new film, English Vinglish.

Hollywood

Similar to Bollywood, many of the highest paid actors reigning in Hollywood are over the age of 40. The best example: 44-year-old Johnny Depp, who tops Forbes’ list of top-earning actors over 35. He generated $92 million during the year ending June 30, owing to his charismatic portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Carribean.

Once an actor has established themselves as a bonafide star, new opportunities open up. For instance, George Clooney, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Ben Stiller have taken turns in the producer’s chair. Tom Hanks has used his nearly bullet-proof box office track record as a springboard into writing, producing and directing — he did all three duties in his 1996 film That Thing You Do.

WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM IANS, AFP AND FORBES

Published in The Express Tribune, October 14^th, 2011.