The Bollywood Queens

This blog post has been long pending. Despite an innate desire to pen down my thoughts, it was tough to overcome the impending procrastinator that got the better of me each time I opened the blog. I tried to justify myself in the garb of 'too much work' and 'lack of time'. This hide and seek has been going on for almost a month now! Being the great Paulo Coelho loyalist that I am, yet again re-reading one of his quotes got me back on track. He says, “One day you will wake up & there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted. Do it now.” Simple, succinct and true!

 Ah... so I wanted to write about the Bollywood movie 'Queen'. But no, it's not just about Queen. It's about celebrating the portrayal of meaningful characters in Bollywood. In 2014, we've had quite a few of them. It's a coincidence that all these protagonists are women. I'm thrilled that it is all part of mainstream cinema and the audiences have enjoyed them as much as I have. Since Queen has been like the icing on the cake, I decided to give a 'queen point' to each of these fabulous movies.

The year started on a positive note with an enjoyable romcom 'Hansee Toh Fansee'. Though I get starry-eyed when I see Siddharth Malhotra, I wasn't gung-ho about going to the theatre to watch this one. But then my movie-freak husband wanted to, and so I reluctantly obliged. (Am happy that I did.) A thorough  entertainer, this light-hearted flick was more than just a love story. Good script, great chemistry between the actors and enjoyable right till the end. For me, it had a message about believing in your dream and realising it. Sid and the others were fabulous but the real star of the movie was Parineeti Chopra. I'd give her a 'Queen of Spade' for this performance. A no-nonsense, matter-of-fact personality with a mind of her own, Parineeti's character, set in the Indian context is a role model for youngsters. An effortlessly meaningful portrayal.

The next movie I wanted to avoid was 'Highway'. After the dismal Student of the Year, I didn't want to watch Alia throwing tantrums on screen again! This time, at the behest of some incorrigibly adorable friends, I headed for 'Highway'. Story, cinematography, music, direction – tuned to perfection! Alia Bhatt mesmerized all with her soulful acting and spontaneity. For me, 'Highway' is THE Bollywood movie of 2014. I'd give Alia a 'Queen of Diamond' for this performance. A girl with talent like that is a DIAMOND and I hope she gets more opportunities to satiate her acting pangs. The movie conveys a strong social message and that makes it all the more special. Parents need to stand up for their children - whether it is dealing with abuse within the family, sexual orientation, or anything else. Powerhouse performance from Randeep Hooda too.

Finally Queen, another movie I was coaxed into watching by the husband! Queen is undoubtedly a Kangana Ranaut movie. Kangana is unassuming, unrehearsed, and unbelievably wonderful! She plays Rani, a gullible young girl who finds her true calling when she sets out to explore Europe all by herself, oblivious of the world around. Quite a lesson on staying self-motivated. Every scene has emotion, humor, thrill and Kangana's inimitable dialogue delivery :). Whether it is about Rani cracking 'santa banta' jokes with strangers, letting her hair down to 'Hungama ho gaya', or her Facebook updates, I haven't laughed this raucously in a very long time! I'd crown Kangana as the 'Queen of Hearts' for this portrayal.
 
One more shining star in 'Queen' was Lisa Haydon, who plays the bohemian Vijaylakshmi. For her unpretentious acting and lovable persona, I would like to give her the 'Queen of Clubs' for this entertaining cameo.

I hope we get to see some decent performances from the kings of Bollywood  that can match up to these showstopper acts by their leading ladies. And I don't mean action packed trash where cinematography and visual effects are the key players ;).