Out of the five highest grossing Hindi films ever in India, four were released in 2023 itself. After three fallow years thanks to the formidable opposition from Covid, South films and streaming media, Bollywood has evidently made a smashing comeback to form.
But consider one transformative commonality among the four over-performers this year – Pathaan, Gadar 2, Jawan and Animal – they were all fuelled by high-testosterone action sequences and the narrative in each was centred around the male superstar. What price the leading lady?
This year’s blockbuster breakthrough first happened with Pathaan which had Shah Rukh Khan in the title role and was trumpeted as the superstar’s comeback after a four-year hiatus. The spy thriller did give its leading lady Deepika Padukone decent footage, requiring her to play a double-crossing secret agent and a doctor while also sizzling like a Bond girl, but make no mistake: it’s Shah Rukh doing the heavy lifting at the box office and in the FX-heavy action showcases which are the throbbing heart of the film.
In Jawan, the women -- Nayanthara, Deepika (pacifyingly tagged as a special appearance), Priyamani and Sanya Malhotra -- are all supporting characters; marionettes in the heists and high-jinks orchestrated by Shah Rukh in a double role.
Animal |
Gadar 2 was simply put a Sunny Deol vehicle, which revisited his biggest triumph and wheeled the ageing star into a position of prominence once again. And, in the titular role, it’s Ranbir Kapoor’s blazing intensity which is stamped over almost every scene of Animal that resonated with the audience.
The action film super-trend is elbowing out the actress from the big picture. This year we simply did not have a women-power-affirming popular success like a Piku, Raazi, Andhadhun or Mimi. And there was no grand romantic superhit like a Kuch Kuch Hota Hai or Bajirao Mastani which afforded a pivotal, nuanced role to the leading lady.
Somehow, despite all the cinematic strides in the right direction, it’s still easier for even young actors like Vicky Kaushal and Ayushmann Khurrana to find successful showcases of their talent in a Sam Bahadur or a Dream Girl 2 than it is for actresses who have been in the vanguard for decades.
Moreover, action will now be baked into the DNA of most new launches that will juice the trend to the rind, so will the female actor get sidelined into being just glossy arm candy? A secondary character with killer dance moves but with little agency except that which is superficially accommodated as tokenism? Do we run the danger of relapsing into the action era of the late 1970s?
That decade began well enough with female-fuelled megahits like Seeta Aur Geeta and Pakeezah but once grittier, more combative cinema was entrenched, films like Amar Akbar Anthony, Shaan, Ram Balram, Laawaris, etc, marginalised the actress into the three-songs-few-scenes slot. Even queen bee Hema Malini had to consent to playing the beauteous glamour doll in three-hero actioners like Trishul and Naseeb.
Of course, contemporary heroines are fighting for a course correction. Katrina Kaif has been clamouring to topline a female action film but despite her popularly hasn’t been able to sell the idea to any major studio.
Hollywood has its Lara Croft and the Hunger Games series but Hindi cinema has still to walk its progressive talk and bankroll a big-budget film pivoted around a female action figure. There's buzz that Alia Bhatt may be joining Yash Raj’s spy universe exclusive boy’s club (Tiger-Kabir-Pathaan) but the resourceful actress is not waiting for it to materialise and is herself producing the forthcoming Jigra, which will be marketed on her own star power.
Then there’s Deepika Padukone who has turned into a realist after burning her fingers with traditionally female-centric themes in Chhapaak and Gehraiyaan. Instead of waiting for Sanjay Leela Bhansali to once again offer her a great role, she is jumping onto the action bandwagon with her upcoming films – Fighter (playing a squadron leader opposite Hrithik Roshan) and Rohit Shetty’s untitled cop film. If you can't beat them, join them.
Who’s the best?
Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani |
One does not envy the task of the jury at an award function this year. The sad lack of convincing options will make it excruciating to decide the Best Actress for 2023.
For the popular award, the main contenders are likely to be Deepika’s feisty act in Pathaan and Alia’s engaging work in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, though neither was really a standout performance. Add Kareena Kapoor Khan to the soggy mix with Jaane Jaan, a streaming film received with muted enthusiasm. Outliers are Rashmika Mandana in Animal, Taapsee Pannu in Dunki, Rani Mukerji in Mrs Chatterjee Vs. Norway, Shraddha Kapoor in Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, Kiara Advani in Satyaprem Ki Katha or perhaps Adah Sharma in The Kerala Story, which was a commercial success but did not meet with a warm critical reception. Big guns like Vidya Balan (Neeyat), Tabu (Khufiya) and Kangana Ranaut (Tejas) all misfired last year.
Maybe they should just stir the pot in this category and nominate Ayushmann Khurrana in Dream Girl 2!
