Are reigning heroines new champions of 'alternative' cinema?

New Delhi, Feb 19 (IANS) Hot and happening Bollywood female actors as opposed to heroines past their prime seem set to emerge as the best bet for the so-called alternative Hindi cinema.

With Sushmita Sen undergoing a complete makeover and sharpening her histrionic talents for director Kalpana Lajmi's small-budget production "Chingaari", the stage seems set for more reigning stars to make the best of both worlds.

Sushmita's much-appreciated role as a sex worker in the film comes at a time when she is very much in the reckoning for typical masala flicks, and trade pundits consider her the best on-screen love interest for the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt.

If she is able to dabble in both genres, she will set a new trend. Hitherto, Bollywood heroines who ventured into the world of alternate cinema were more or less written off by Mumbai-based dream merchants.

Tabu, Karisma Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Manisha Koirala, Mahima Chaudhary and Urmila Matondkar had to bid goodbye to big-budget films with song and dance routines after they ventured into the world of parallel cinema.

For most of them the trade off was worth it.

"Maachis" opened a whole new world for Tabu, with films being made with her in the main role and an audience (in small but significant numbers) willing to see such movies. Other actresses found award-winning roles even if it meant accepting a fraction of their fees.

Trade observer Deepa Gehlot said: "The major actors and new actresses who have to go through the second-fiddle grind haven't the time or inclination to spare for small films, so the great parts are being written for and grabbed by actresses hungry for challenges, and let's face it, an extension of their careers."

Female stars seem to be coming to the rescue of small producers who can never dream of signing A-list stars.

The big budget commercial film will always be around, hanging their hopes on the magnetism of their leading man, but after the relative success of small-budget movies with women protagonists, a lot of people with some spare cash are taking note.

Interestingly, there have been incidents of top Bollywood heroines displacing less popular performers in what are considered prestigious projects.

Aishwarya Rai went after the lead role in Rituparno Ghosh's "Chokher Bali", grabbing it from Nandita Das. Similarly, Kareena Kapoor evinced interest in Anant Balani's "Chameli" and replaced Antara Mali.

Femina Miss India-Universe Neha Dhupia bagged the main role in Deepak Shivdasani's "Julie" from relatively new actresses who had earlier been approached for it.

The trend, however, did not last long. As soon as their formulaic commercial films hit it big at the box-office, they bid adieu to small-budget filmmakers.

It remains to be seen whether the other reigning women stars are willing to earn less, but have more fun.

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While Bollywood female actors are emerging as stars of the New Wave, women directors are still having problems functioning in the mainstream. Take Kalpana Lajmi's latest film "Chingaari" for instance.

Her latest venture is yet another film on women oppression, making one wonder why she is allowing herself to get stereotyped. In fact, the climax of "Chingaari" is uncomfortably akin to that of "Daman".

Gehlot said: "In India, because so few opportunities are available to women directors, whether they like it or not, they have fallen into the trap of making films about women, and mostly about women in victim mode, which in these post-feminist days is boring even for women.

"Female directors are needed to push their experiences and points of view so that certain myths and outdated notions about women's lives can be addressed. It's a razor's edge balance they have to maintain, and this kind of demand is obviously not made of male directors.

"It is one of those inexplicable paradoxes of showbiz that a whole lot of female-centric films are being made by men, while female directors have to eschew women's stories if they have to get noticed as filmmakers."

The list of women directors who have tasted commercial success is an indicator of the dismissal of sob stories by audiences. Farah Khan is perhaps the most commercially successful and she did it by churning out an out and out masala flick.

Others like Deepa Mehta, Aparna Sen, Reema Rakeshnath, Shrabani Deodhar, Tanuja Chandra, Pooja Bhatt, Suhasini Mani Ratnam and Suma Josson have stuck to telling stories of contemporary India and sexual liberation.

Women directors like Sai Paranjpye, Aruna Raje and Kalpana Lajmi, and new entrants Meghna Gulzar and Revathy have not been able to make audience-pleasing films.

The good thing though is that with the exponential increase in the demand for more films due to the multiplex phenomenon, more and more women directors are finding funding for making movies close to their hearts.

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On the heels of Kalpana Lajmi, Tanuja Chandra is ready to unveil her newest labour of love. "Rocking" will mark her return after a long sabbatical. She was last in the news for her "Sur".

With a funky sounding film and star cast comprising Sushmita Sen, Shiney Ahuja, Kim Sharma and Moushumi Chatterjee, Chandra seems set to return in style. The film is a love story between a shy, reclusive doctor played by Shiney Ahuja and a vibrant, sensational rock singer, played by Sushmita.

Interestingly, the film stars Moushumi Chatterjee in a double role as Sushmita's mother and aunt.

The box-office fate of the film will decide whether the Mahesh Bhatt prodigy is able to outdo his own actress-turned-producer daughter Pooja Bhatt.

Pooja's latest venture - "Holiday" - failed to live up to expectations. The film recently sank without a trace.

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