"Yeh Jalwa, Yeh Jalwa, Fashion Ka Hai Yeh Jalwa ..."

Song: Fashion Ka Jalwa
Film: Fashion
Playback Singers: Sukhwinder Singh, Satya Hinduja & Robert Bob Omulo
Composer: Salim-Sulaiman

Many actresses are showing their new jalwa, style, and talent in movies of recent years, and since Vidya Balan's Kahaani (!!!) is releasing tomorrow (coincidentally the day after International Women's Day) I figured a post about the new influx of successful women-oriented films in the Bollywood film industry would be appropriate. Here are the three actresses who I believe have the potential to compete with the Khans, the Roshans, the Kapoors, and all other actors who have been traditionally dominating successful Bollywood movies.

Vidya Balan

• Balan's No One Killed Jessica, although partnered with Rani Mukherji, shot her into the limelight of women-oriented films, proving that she could bring critical acclaim and commercial success.
• Later that year, she came with the superhit The Dirty Picture, which not only earned her the National Film Award for Best Actress, but a film with raving reviews and commercial success. With this film, Vidya Balan sealed the deal with her status as an actress who could stand alone.
• She continues her women-oriented films with Kahaani, and hopefully Kahaani will make a trio for Vidya Balan, critically and commercially!

Priyanka Chopra

• Although not a woman-oriented film, Priyanka Chopra's role in Aitraaz as a seducing villain proved that she could do more than just the sweet or glamorous roles that most actresses played at that time. She also earned the Filmfare Award that year for Best Villain, an award only one other actress has received in its history.
• Piggy Chops really proved her worth in Madhur Bhandarkar's Fashion through her act of an innocent small town girl who evolved into an arrogant supermodel. Fashion was one of the first women-oriented films that was commercially successful, and Priyanka Chopra's work earned her the critical acclaim of the National Film Award for Best Actress.
• Priyanka's early 2011 film, 7 Khoon Maaf, although not commercially successful, added onto her list of accolades. She was effectively convincing in the film with each of husbands, as well as her aging appearance throughout the movie.

Kareena Kapoor

• In her early career, Kareena's film Chameli launched her to critical success. Although Chameli wasn't a commercial success, Kareena's act as a street smart prostitute is still remembered today, and this woman-oriented film is recognized as the turning point in her career.
• In Imtiaz Ali's Jab We Met (one of my favorites movies!), although sharing equal screen space with Shahid Kapoor, Kareena shined as the bubbly character of Geet, and her Filmfare-worthy performance proved to be one of the main factors that carried the film to an unexpected success.
• Madhur Bhandarkar's latest flick, Heroine, set to release in late 2012, will be starring Kareena Kapoor in the lead role, and it will be quite interesting to if she can continue her current reign over Bollywood with Bhandarkar's realistic cinema!

In my opinion, these three actresses have had the greatest success with the new trend of contemporary, women-oriented films. Will they become like the three Superstar Khans (Aamir, Shahrukh, & Salman), whose success is unattainable by others? Only time (and good scripts) will tell, but I don't think anyone can beat Aamir Khan (he's my Khan of all seasons). 

Special mention to Kangna Ranaut and Konkona Sen Sharma who have done a fantastic job in breaking the stereotypical actress role with path-breaking films. Hopefully, they will be more commercially successful in the future!

Please comment and share your thoughts!