7 Bollywood ladies breaking the “Heroine” mold.

Bollywood films are known to be the hero’s domain. It’s his playground, where he romances the heroine, rescues the damsel in distress, fights with the bad guys and basically, carries the entire film on his beefed up shoulders.  Whereas the mainstream heroine is supposed to merely look pretty and lurk in his shadows; with only a handful of films proving otherwise.

However, there is a bunch of young and gutsy Bollywood heroines today, who are proving that they can do a lot more than just being a prop and can actually carry films on their own shoulders without the support of a hero.  These gals are refusing to get overshadowed by the heroes and are successfully redefining the stereotypical image of a heroine in mainstream cinema with their rare and powerful depiction of woman characters.

Meet some of these new age heroines, who are daring to break the mold…

From playing the quintessential love interest to the hero in her debut film Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi to nailing the dhobi pachads in Sultan, Anushka Sharma has certainly come a long way. Not to forget her powerful portrayal of the courageous woman who fights back her husband’s killer, and is in the centre of all the action in the film NH10. This B-Town girl is definitely adding some new dimensions to the stereotypical heroine.

More than her acting prowess, she is known for her understanding of fashion and the style quotient that she brings to her films.  However, in her last release Neerja, Sonam Kapoor broke all the norms as she uninhibitedly portrayed the airhostess – Neerja Bhanot, who thwarted the hijack attempts of terrorists and helped saved 359 lives.   No doubt, she was the hero of this film.

The shotgun junior has suddenly become the talk of the town after the trailer release of her forthcoming film Akira.   One look at Sonakshi Sinha‘s killer chops in the trailer and you know that the Dabangg girl is all set for an image makeover. In fact, it is the first time that any Bollywood heroine will be seen in a full-fledged action role. Sona is playing the protagonist- Akira, who is strong, defiant and doesn’t shy away from breaking some bones.  Undoubtedly, Sonakshi has packed a punch that would put most action heroes to shame. 

She may have started off as a typical heroine in a big production flick like – Student Of The Year, however, it was impossible to keep this Shaandaar girl trapped in the cliche mold for too long.  Be it Highway or the recently released Udta Punjab, Alia Bhatt has not shied away from experimenting and has delivered hard-hitting performances that made her heroes look like the second lead.  She is not only redefining the mainstream heroine but is also stealing her co-stars’ thunder.

She is known for her acting prowess and unconventional choice of films since the day she arrived in Bollywood, and ever since then Kangana Ranaut has refused to conform to stereotypes. Irrespective of the presence of any big actor or not, Kangana has always stood out with her powerful performances.  Be it Queen or Tanu Weds Manu, Kangana has time and again proved that a heroine is capable of not just solely carrying films on her shoulders but also of bringing in the moolah. 

There is one word for her – Unstoppable. She has not only changed the perception of the heroine in Bollywood with her films like Barfi, Mary Kom, Jai Gangajal but has also shown to the industry that a heroine can also carve a niche for herself in Hollywood.  With the American series Quantico and her forthcoming Hollywood film Baywatch, Priyanka Chopra proves that a Bollywood heroine can do a lot more than sing song and dance around the trees.

Last year Deepika Padukone stirred the nation with her powerful performance in Piku, where she took the centre stage and stole the show despite the presence of two veterans like – Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan, and this year our desi diva is creating quite a noise in Hollywood with her recent project xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, where she stars opposite Vin Diesel.

Clearly, the winds of change have hit Bollywood and these divas are proving that they are no less than any heroes.