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The leading lady of Indian cinema is an
enigma hard to capture in words. No film is complete without her
- the significance of her
role notwithstanding.
She could be a grieving
widow or a coy bride, a bratty tomboy or
femininity personified but just as long as she
was present, audiences went back home with a sense of satisfaction,
mesmerised by their sensuality and (hopefully) talent.
Though they were fluctuating between
surrendering to and protesting against the stereotypical roles
that were being offered, most
of these fearless femmes managedat least one breakthrough
performance which made critics
sit up and realise their histrionic abilities.
Unfortunately Indian cinema has not thrown
up too many roles where women got to
overcome and challenge the patriarchal set up.
Yet in the odd film that did it, the results
were spectacular, becoming part of the Indian public subconscious.
We pay tribute to these women
for having helped shape our vision of
Indian cinema.
Sunanda Kumar
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