The heroine-centric film moves to its next level

By Natalia Ningthoujam

New Delhi, Sep 22 (IANS) The Bollywood actress has come of age, and that has been happening for a while now. The heroine-oriented film is a reality, so is a consistently good show of the genre at the box-office. Bollywood is now all set to enter the next level with the heroine-oriented film. Far from remaining a mere eye candy, the likes of Kangana Ranaut in "Dhaakad" and Parineeti Chopra in "The Girl On The Train" remake are moving into areas where the Bollywood heroine never did.

Kangana has defined "Dhaakad" as a "one of a kind female-led action film", while Parineeti calls her next release the "most difficult" role in her life. The trend is catching on, you realise, when you look at recent performances as Taapsee Pannu in "Badla" and Alia Bhatt in "Raazi", too.

Kangana has been the "hero" of her films like "Queen" and "Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi". In her latest release, "JudgeMentall Hai Kya", she played antihero -- something we normally don't see the Bollywood heroine do. The film may not have set the box-office in fire, but it outlines an important trend. Now that the female-centric film is here to stay, the Bollywood heroine will not be the same again.

"I have always wanted to be somebody who is not the hero's sidekick because when there is a big hero in the film you are just a sidekick," Kangana had told IANS.

Among her upcoming films, "Dhaakad" will show that action genre isn't restricted to just men.

"After the success of 'Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi', it has been proven that audiences across the globe are loving larger than life films with a female hero. 'Dhaakad' is not only a benchmark film for my career but will be a turning point for Indian cinema as well," Kangana had said.

"The film is mounted on a large scale, is one of a kind female-led action film, and is apt for a Diwali release. If it is received well, there will be no looking back for women in Indian cinema."

Actress Parineeti Chopra gave a sneak peek of her "intense" look from her upcoming film the Hindi remake of Hollywood thriller "The Girl On The Train".

Parineeti on Wednesday took to Twitter to share her first look, which she described as "most difficult". In the new still, she appears heavily bruised, sitting in a bath tub with an expressions of shock on her face.

"Something I've never done before. And the most difficult character I have ever played in my life," she captioned the image.

"Panga" -- Kangana's movie with filmmaker Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari -- is expected to strengthen her filmography. It is being described by the makers as a story that reaffirms that a family who laughs, cries, dreams together and if they are by your side, nothing seems to be impossible to a willing heart. The film also stars strong female actors Richa Chadha and Neena Gupta.

While there's still time for these movies to release, the audience will get to see actresses Bhumi Pednekar and Taapsee Pannu playing oldest sharp shooters in the world in the film "Saand Ki Aankh".

The movie is inspired by Chandro Tomar and Prakashi Tomar, who are among the oldest sharp shooters in India.

Taapsee, who essays the role of Prakashi Tomar, said: "To play the role of a woman, who against all odds, picked up the gun and shot her way to glory and success at that age, has been so inspiring.

"While shooting for the film, I lived with them in their house. I saw how both of them encourage the game of sharp shooting. Despite coming from a rural place, these two women have shown me that Indian women are no less than anyone else in the world when it comes to sports, strong will and fighting for their dream," she added.

A month ago, Parineeti, who is often associated with chirpy roles, gave a sneak peek of her "intense" look from the Hindi remake of Hollywood thriller "The Girl On The Train".

Parineeti took to Twitter to share her first look, which she described as "most difficult". "Something I've never done before. And the most difficult character I have ever played in my life," she had written.

"The Girl On The Train" is based on Paula Hawkins' 2015 bestseller of the same name. It is a psychological thriller about a divorcee woman, who gets entangled in the investigation of a missing person, which in turn throws her life out of gear.

Actress Deepika Padukone's infectious smile and her beauty have often been talk points. Her fans will soon see her in the film "Chhapaak", based on the life of an acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal. The "Om Shanti Om" star calls it the "most precious film of my career".

On her role, Deepika had said earlier: "It's a very important story and it's a true life incident, so hopefully good things will come out of it."