Remembering Suchitra Sen

The Second Act

Vinitha Kattungal

The death of Suchitra Sen today morning, apart from the deep remorse it brought, set the mind thinking about the heroines of our day. Suchitra belonged to a time when marriage and motherhood was not looked down upon by the industry which is a far cry from the Bollywood of our times.

Suchitra Sen

Lights, camera and action - the three magical words of tinsel town around which the glamorous film industry turns. After stepping into the whirlpool of ‘glitz and glamour’, every aspiring actress just spins along endlessly. They only stop after marriage and child birth. Why do the leading ladies, who are talented, attractive and at the peak of their acting careers, disappear after marriage and child birth?

People say it is unavoidable. But really, is it? Who is to blame for this brutal end to an otherwise promising career - the audience or the film makers? The film makers think that the fan following of the heroine (even if she is young) declines after marriage. Prominent film maker Sanjay Leela Bhansali ousted Kareena Kapoor from his ambitious project ‘Ram Leela’ on the grounds of Bebo’s impending marriage and justified his act by stating that post-marriage the audience would not be able to identify with Kareena’s portrayal of Juliet as Leela, as the film is based on Romeo-Juliet. Even the beauty queen Aishwarya Rai was dropped from Madhur Bhandarkar’s ’Heroine’ after she announced that she was pregnant.

Kareena Kapoor

Why are heroines always put into two categories - desirable or/and undesirable? Is it because, the role of heroine is to be the love interest of the hero, undoubtedly with a beautiful face, sensual body and dancing around in skimpy clothes. That is, in fact, the nature of the roles most actresses portray in their films. As far as the audiences are concerned, the heroine is their ‘dream girl’. They admire and fantasize about their screen idol. These fans are the main reason for all the stardom in the show business. If a hero desires a heroine, so do they. They fantasise about heroines who are single and reject those who are not single and not available.

Taking the argument forward, audiences feel that once their favourite heroine is married, they no longer get to have her, she is the property of the person she marries and in a jiffy they shift their focus on to the next available glamorous heroine. But the society accepts the leading man even if he is in forties, irrespective of his marital status. However, the same is not true of heroines. Heroines are asked if they would work post marriage. Why was Twinkle Khanna not asked if Akshay Kumar would work post wedding?

Sharmila Tagore

It is a myth, post marriage actress cannot pull it off like their unmarried counterparts. It has been challenged and proven that heroines even after having kids ruled the box office.

Cut. Pan. Zoom, to the early 50’s when noted Bengali actress Suchitra Sen, who died this morning,  made a successful entry after marriage and motherhood. Even in those days the masses as well as the film makers accepted her as an artist with great acting skills and were not concerned about her marital status. Some of Suchitra Sen’s unforgettable movies are Sherey Chuattor, Deep Jwele Jaai, Devdas and Aandhi. Suchitra's daughter, Moon Moon Sen also entered the film fraternity after marriage and motherhood in 1984. She was a model-turned-versatile actress who acted in Hindi, Bengali and all south Indian Films.

One heroine we could never forget is National award winner Sharmila Tagore, who began her acting career in Satayajit Ray’s Benagali film Apur Sansar in 1959 and established herself as a popular Hindi actress in Kashmir Ki Kali (1964). She was called the sex symbol of Bollywood for her first appearance in a bikini for the film An Evening In paris (1967). She married in 1969 and in 1970 her son Saif Ali khan was born. She is the only actress who delivered the maximum number of hits post marriage and after childbirth. From (1969-1975), she delivered hits like Aradhana, Safar, Daag, Amar Prem, Chhoti Bahu and Mausam. She could balance both professional and personal life.

Dimple Kapadia

Let’s look at some actresses who voluntarily have taken time off from their acting career to be married and after enjoying their motherhood made a successful comeback after a long gap. Who could forget Dimple Kapadia? She set the screen on fire after 12 years of marriage with Sagar (1985), and became one of the leading actresses in 1980s. Sridevi is one of the longest reigning successful leading ladies of Indian Cinema, who started her career as a child artist and is still going strong. But after marriage it took her 15 years to return with a bang in 2012 (with English Viglish).

Up next, ‘Dhak Dhak girl’ Madhuri Dixit, the dancing queen of Bollywood? - after delivering a number of hits before marriage, she took a break from acting to raise her kids and made a comeback in 2007 (Aaja Nachle) which bombed at the box office. She then returned as a judge for reality dance show ‘Jhalak Dikhla Jaa’. Her Dedh Ishqiya has been getting some rave review and Gulaab Gang arrives in March where she is paired with bubbly Juhi Chawla is the most awaited release. Juhi Chawla who is known for her comic timing in films, was one of the leading ladies of the 90’s along with Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit. But after marriage she started appearing in independent and art films, and her work include the critically acclaimed films 3 Deewarein, 7½ Phere and My Brother Nikhil.

Madhuri Dixit

Among the newer married heroines, we have Kajol and Karishma Kapoor. Kajol is seen on and off on screen, delivering hits and winning awards whenever she makes a comeback. As far as Karishma is concerned, during her break from films she acted in television serial ‘Karishma – The Miracle of Destiny’ and appeared as a judge for dance reality show ‘Nach Baliye – Season 4’, but her come back movie was a disaster (Dangerous Ishq) in 2011. Even in present slot we have actress like Chitrangada Singh who made a successful debut in 2003 after marriage in critically acclaimed film Hazaaron Khwaishan Aisi. She took a break from 2005-08 and made a successful comeback in 2008. Everyone is waiting for Aishwariya Rai to return but she always says ‘I am reading scripts’.

If Suchitra Sen could do it in 50’s, why not the present crop of heroines? If you look at the pattern, non-filmy husbands are matured enough to allow their celebrity wives to return to the silver screen whereas 'filmy' husbands are over possessive when it comes to their starry wives.

Whatever the reason may be, if the actresses what to comeback nobody can stop them. Who calls the final shot, is it the heroines, their husbands, the audience or the film makers? Whoever it is? One thing is assured - talent always sustains. So, how far comeback screen idols will be able to woo the audiences is the question of the hour and how many will get the approval and acceptance from the viewers, time will tell. Till then as our show man Raj Kapoor said “the show must go on”.