There was a time when there were only a few women actresses in Indian cinema like Nutan, Nargis Dutt, Sri Devi, Madhubala, and Rekha. Today cinema is riding on the wave of new-generation women actresses like Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma, and Kangana Ranawat. The future, we feel, is definitely female.
Here is a list of twelve women actresses who are challenging the status quo, and redefining Indian cinema.Kangana Ranaut
She made her debut in the 2006 movie Gangster and since then there have been a lot of ups and downs in her career. Being ridiculed for the lispy accent, stereotyped for her characters, controversies, failures, and huge successes, she has been through all. To put it in one line, from an outsider to one of the highest-paid actresses of Bollywood, such as the journey of Kangana Ranaut. She is the first female actor to have a movie centered around her cross the 100 crore mark at the box office and a key figure when it comes to female equality in the film industry. She has done a lot of work and we are proud of her for being who she is. Let’s have a look at her journey so far,
Madhuri Dixit
She’s one actress who sold films. Who overshadowed her heroes. How else would you explain a relatively forgotten film like Raja (1995) being a superhit? It did nothing for Sanjay Kapoor’s career. If the Universe has a law of the great leveler, Madhuri Dixit is the only exponent of it.
In a world of megastar males, she balances the power equation in favor of the fairer sex. But it established one unassailable fact. Madhuri Dixit’s box-office power was indestructible. She’s had a long list of memorable songs, movie moments, award nominations and award wins. It’s part of a movie legacy that’s usually associated with the male stars. The giant posters, the long queues of cinema patrons, the exasperating wait for a comeback. Very few ladies in showbiz enjoy such a following. Fewer still makes such a description seem like an understatement. That’s the one and only Madhuri.
Anushka Sharma
Actress and producer Anushka Sharma has managed to carve her own space in Bollywood and she has bagged multiple honors for her performances through the years. The ‘NH10’ actress became the latest recipient of another prestigious honor. Anushka was presented with the Smita Patil Memorial Award by Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Piyush Goyal in Mumbai last year. Sharma was raised in Bangalore. She was educated at the Army School there and received a degree in arts from Mount Carmel College. She originally intended to pursue a career in modeling or journalism and had no aspirations to be an actress.
After graduation, Sharma moved to Mumbai to further her modeling career.
The awards are given out by Priyadarshni Academy, which is a non-profit, socio-cultural and educational organization. Anushka wore an emerald green and gold saree which was reportedly made by local artisans. Her look was styled with a gold necklace and she kept the rest of her look simple with a green bindi and hair tied back in a bun.
Preity Zinta
Preity in her over the two-decade journey in the movies gave several memorable performances and has been honored with many awards and nominations. She is best known for her roles in films such as Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Salaam Namaste, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Koi... Mil Gaya, The Last Lear, Veer-Zaara Lakshya, Mission Kashmir, Sangharsh, Kya Kehna, Mission Kashmir, and Dil Chahta Hai among others.