A century of Indian cinema has been shaped by stellar performances; emotions portrayed on screen like colours on a canvas. From Madhubala’s Anarkali to Alia Bhatt’s Gangubai Kathiawadi, women in cinema have played an instrumental role in emerging as strong voices, at times, mirroring the societal realities of the time and at times, setting an example for others to follow. When Anarkali danced fearlessly to 'Jab pyar kiya toh darna kya’ in the 1960 film Mughal-E-Azam, in a show of dissent to Salim’s father, Emperor Akbar, she singlehandedly broke the caging norms of the society. Till date, she stands as an inspiration to women facing the tyranny of conservative minds, notes ambassador Surendra Kumar (retired) in his book Unforgettable Divas of Bollywood, published by Har-Anand Publications.
The former diplomat, who has previously also written Legends of Indian Cinema: Pen Portraits paints a rather detailed narrative of women in Indian cinema, cataloguing journeys of the likes of Meena Kumari, Nargis, Nutan, Sridevi, Sadhana, and from the recent times, Madhuri Dixit, Kajol, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Alia Bhatt, Kriti Sanon and others. Detailing each actor’s journey from Madhubala to Sridevi, Kajol, and Bhumi Pednekar, among others, he roughly divides the book in four parts—the actors of the golden age of cinema (1950s-60s), actors of the 1970s-80s, modern actors from the 1990s-2010s and the young new next generation of actors.
As the book progresses, with each actor’s journey and time, one witnesses the maturing of India cinema, with reference to the treatment and portrayal of women, the ranges of roles offered, and instances that show how the retro Indian cinema was way ahead of its time.
For Surendra Kumar, Sharmila Tagore is the ‘bridge between Bollywood and Tollywood’, Shabana Azmi is an award winner, he calls Alia Bhatt the ‘Meryl Streep of Bollywood’, plauds Vidya Balan’s choices for ‘off-beat, women-oriented roles’ and calls Madhuri ‘more than the Dhak Dhak girl…’ referring to her popular sound track from the film Beta.
While the author discusses all significant women who have shaped the film industry and those who continue to do so, the book refrains from critiquing actors and maintains a positive outlook overall, concluding with the mentions of the possibility of bright futures for the recent launches in the industry, including Suhana Khan and Khushi Kapoor, who received flak for their performance in the Netflix film The Archies. Unforgettable Divas of Bollywood is an important encyclopaedia of sorts for compiling and discussing female actors and their respective contributions to the industry.
Unforgettable Divas of Bollywood
Author: Surendra Kumar
Published by: Har-Anand Publications
Pages: 192
Price: 900