Bollywood: The girls that once ruled

Rani and Preity make back to back comebacks to film industry.

KARACHI:

Bollywood is full of surprises, not only in terms of diverse content but also in terms of over-night fame or failure.

It’s an industry where an actor as versatile as Rani Mukherjee is seen struggling for the past few years but also the same industry where someone as fresh as Sonakshi Sinha makes a sensation starring opposite big names like Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn. The unpredictable film industry doesn’t guarantee success — especially when it comes round to the comeback phase.

Recently, a handful of Bollywood actors attempted a re-entry in the glam world but failed — super-stars like Karisma Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit. However, fortune favoured ‘70s girl Sri Devi who recently made a spectacular comeback which was praised by Amitabh Bachchan. Two other major returns for this year are Rani Mukherjee and Preity Zinta, previously associated with blockbuster hits like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kal Ho Na Ho.

But are Preity and Rani relevant to Bollywood today? Since the dynamics of the industry have changed in the last few years, it’s difficult to say whether their return to the film industry will have a positive impact on their careers.

Rani fell behind in 2009 with Dil Bole Hadippa and her career nosedived further after the failure of No One Killed Jessica. Preity went down with Jhoom Barabar Jhoom and turned to neo-realistic movies, known as parallel cinema. But it is pertinent to mention that the two of them together starred in successful modern day classics like Veer-Zaara and the melodramatic Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. After their not-so-short dance with fame, they were replaced by dancing divas Kareena Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra who suddenly took over Bollywood like a storm. Strengthening the storm were charismatic newcomers like Anushka Sharma, Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif, who have proven to be more than just Barbie dolls (well, minus Katrina, who is gorgeous but graceless).

With so many young rivals in B-town, Preity proves to be a bold gambler; not only is she going to be playing the lead role, she has also co-produced and co-written her upcoming movie Ishkq in Paris. The title of the film makes it seem exotic, but nothing beyond a clichéd story is expected. Salman Khan’s cameo might give the film a boost, but she will need something more than that to generate business.

On the other hand, Rani is making her way back to B-town from the south; or to be exact, she is starring in Aiyya, a film about a woman who loves South Indian films. From the trailer, it seems that Rani left no stone unturned to prove her talent. Whether its exaggerated dialogue delivery or gyrating hips, she probably realises that this and to-be-released Talaash, could be the last nails in the coffin for her.

When comparing the two, it’s definitely Rani who scores high in talent; Preity is more of a pretty face with not much to offer. Rani is happy to carry on with a more voluptuous look and follow the footsteps of Viyda Balan but Preity really needs a miracle. May the best woman win!

Published in The Express Tribune, October 13^th, 2012.

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