That is where heroine-oriented cinema comes in. The rise of multiplexes over the past two decades continues to increase the segment of audience that visits the big screen for sensible entertainment. These films are not about making big money. Parineeti Chopra (left) appears in romantic drama Meri Pyaari Bindu, cast as the muse and childhood love of an author, and Matr has Raveena Tandon (right) as an avenger New-age Bollywood has been quick to understand the logistics of heroine-oriented mainstream cinema. This is around a third or a fourth the income an average male-dominated release collects in its first three days. Plus, most films starring top male superstars normally also get the advantage of solo release during festivals, which means extended weekend collections.Īs a result of the limited screen count, Begum Jaan managed a little less than Rs 16 crore over its opening weekend. Compare that screen count to the 4,000-odd screens a film riding one of the Khans or Akshay Kumar regularly enjoys. Simple calculations point at box-office returns, while explaining the disparity of remuneration given to Bollywood's leading men and women.Ī commercial blockbuster riding a top male superstar normally makes four to five times the money that a heroine-centric hit manages at the domestic boxoffice on an average, trade pundits would reason, on why heroines get underpaid.Ī case in point is Begum Jaan, one of the most hyped heroinecentric films released in recent months.Īlthough Vidya Balan's return in a starring role garnered sufficient buzz, the film managed to get a screen count of a little less The truth is Bollywood's brutal moneyminded brains have no time for political correctness. The discordant note in this context, of course, is the fact that pay cheques of star heroines in Bollywood continue to remain at least a fourth or a fifth of what the heroes take home on an average.Īlmost every heroine has spoken about the issue at some point, but the industry seems in no mood to rectify the problem.ĭeepika Padukone (left) is in perhaps her most challenging film yet, the ambitious epic Padmavati, while Kangana Ranaut (right) appears in hardhitting, realistic drama Simran Bollywood's redefined economics, which the multiplex culture has started, ensures most such projects make money. It's a great time to be a heroine in Bollywood, obviously.Ī continual spate of films has been guaranteeing solid roles coming up for actresses.
It's been a promising start for heroine-centric films this year clearly, after last year saw the success of Dangal, Neerja, Pink, Dear Zindagi, Happy Bhag Jayegi and Ki & Ka.Ĭounting the films that have already released this year, Bollywood has at least a dozen women-centric releases lined up for 2017. The Baby spin-off regaled as a high-voltage action entertainer in the guise of pop patriotism, as Taapsee Pannu (left) played out the formative years of a spy, while Vidya Balan (right) is cast as a brothel madam who picks up a gun to protect her turf during Partition. The mainstream hit Badrinath Ki Dulhanian generated more buzz thanks to the solid performance of its heroine Allia Bhatt than hero Varun Dhawan. This year, so far Naam Shabana, starring Taapsee Pannu, and Anushka Sharma's Phillauri have seen profitable collections at the box office. Heroines driving the box-office is a welcome twist in the Bollywood film trade tale, considering the industry is constantly looking for fresh ways to expand the market. In a film trade that has largely been driven by herocentric films over the years, this has hardly happened before.Īdd to that the fact that barring Shah Rukh Khan's Raees and the Akshay Kumar-starrer Jolly LLB 2, the first four months of 2017 have largely banked on heroine-oriented releases. Noor starring Sonakshi Sinha, and Matr, which marks the comeback of Raveena Tandon, will occupy exhibition space in the domestic market, to explore two entirely different facets of modern Indian womanhood.Ĭonsidering last week's big release was the Vidya Balan-toplined Begum Jaan, this means, with the release of Noor and Matr, the Bollywood box-office over the next few days will entirely be driven by heroines. Two widely discussed heroine-centric films have opened over the weekend, setting up a fascinating clash of girl power at the multiplexes. This week sees the sort of box office drama that rarely comes Bollywood's way.
Sonakshi plays a journalist in this comic thriller about an average young girl’s experiences in love, and life in general