Packing a solid womaniya punch

Powerhouse female performers who have shattered the myth of an actress’ short shelf life

Noorulain Sayed

Gone are the days when a heroine’s career would last for only a decade. The other day, at an event, I grinned from ear to ear when Kareena Kapoor Khan said, “I’ve been acting for 26 years…” One look at the leading ladies today, and one can’t help but smile at the fact that these women didn’t stick to the typical dancing around trees. Nope. They took on roles and worked in projects where they were not merely eye candy. These actresses extended themselves to a degree where they are no longer disposable. These actresses may not have biceps, but surely have solid meat in their roles. Their careers have lasted for more than two decades.

Kareena Kapoor Khan

The actress, who made her acting debut back in 2000 with Refugee, commands a certain authority on screen. Her films like Jaane Jaan (2023), where she has a meatier role than her male co-stars Vijay Varma and Jaideep Ahlawat, is just one of the examples. Her upcoming release Daayra has her sharing screen space with Malayalam cinema’s superstar Prithviraj Sukumaran, and he plays one perspective while she plays the equally strong other side.

Kajol

This exceptional performer is the fourth-generation actress from her maternal family. No pressure, right? Repeatedly, Kajol has chosen roles where she was much more than a glamorous addition to the cast. Be it Tribhanga or Maa, the story has always revolved around her characters.

Madhuri Dixit

Ruling our hearts since 1984 (her debut film Abodh released that year), Madhuri has come a long, long way and was perhaps one of the first leading ladies to act in films like Anjaam (1994), Mrityudand (1997) and Lajja (2001), where she was the “hero”. Her latest release Maa Behen was also shouldered mostly by her gritty acting chops.

Tabu

What can one say about this incredible performer? From pivotal roles in women-oriented films like Chandni Bar (2001) and Astitva (2000) to standing her own ground against Ajay Devgn’s character in the Drishyam franchise, Tabu has shattered every glass ceiling possible in the film industry.

Manisha Koirala

We all knew she could act. Her career was always yo-yoing between Bombay (1995), Dil Se.. (1997), Agni Sakshi (1995) and films where her talent wasn’t utilised to the fullest. The industry had almost forgotten her, but then came the banger of a role in Heeramandi. She owned Mallikajaan and left no crumbs. She reunited with her Khamoshi: The Musical director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and completely silenced her critics once and for all.

Rani Mukerji

When she made her acting debut way back in 1996 with Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat, say what you may about that abysmal film, but Rani entered the industry with a women-centric film. Today, she headlines the Mardaani franchise solely on the dum of her star power.