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8 Iconic female characters in Bollywood movies: Deepika Padukone in Piku to Alia Bhatt in Gully Boy
Bollywood has created several iconic female characters over the years. Here is a curated and comprehensive list of eight such characters. Read on.
Watching a well-written and well-etched female character in a movie is always a delight. They are quite rare, but they are always a treat to watch when done correctly. These characters can be funny, edgy, evil, or loving. So here is a list of eight iconic female characters in Bollywood movies over the years.
This list includes names like Deepika Padukone in the 2015 film Piku and Ali Bhatt in Gully Boy, among others. So sit back, grab a popcorn, and enjoy these movies.
Check out the 20 Strong Female Characters in Bollywood films
1. Deepika Padukone from Piku
Running Time: 122 minutes
IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
Movie Genre: Dramedy
Movie Star Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan
Director: Shoojit Sircar
Writer: Juhi Chaturvedi
Year of release: 2015
Where to Watch / OTT Platform: SonyLIV
Deepika Padukone plays the role of the titular Piku Banerjee, who is an architect. She is a motivated and caring person who lives with her 70-year-old hypochondriac father, Bhashkor (played by Amitabh Bachchan). Her love for her father remains a major highlight of this touching film. Directed by Shoojit Sircar, this film is hard to miss.
2. Sridevi from English Vinglish
Running Time: 134 minutes
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
Movie Genre: Comedy, Drama
Movie Star Cast: Sridevi, Adil Hussain
Director: Gauri Shinde
Writer: Gauri Shinde
Year of release: 2012
Where to Watch / OTT Platform: JioCinema
Sridevi marked her return to acting with English Vinglish after several years. In it, she plays the role of homemaker Shashi Godbole, who is mocked by her family members over her lack of command of English. She then takes the matter into her own hands and joins English tuition. Sridevi's portrayal of the tender yet determined Shashi is a delight to watch. The film has strong performances, excellent writing, and an impactful social message.
3. Vidya Balan from Kahaani
Running Time: 122 minutes
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
Movie Genre: Thriller
Movie Star Cast: Vidya Balan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Writer: Sujoy Ghosh, Advaita Kala
Year of release: 2012
Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Amazon Prime
Kahaani remains one of Vidya Balan's finest performances. She plays the role of Vidya Bagchi, a pregnant lady who is looking for her missing husband. However, she is more than what meets the eye. As the story progresses, we get to witness the layers of the character. Kahaani is a tight thriller championed by Vidya's strong performance.
4. Alia Bhatt from Gully Boy
Running Time: 153 minutes
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
Movie Genre: Musical, Drama
Movie Star Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Writer: Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti
Year of release: 2019
Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Amazon Prime
Alia Bhatt plays the role of Safeena in Zoya Akhtar's Gully Boy. She is possessive about her boyfriend and to the extent of physically hurting someone for it. The character is, however, sweet and caring from the inside. Alia gives a different dimension to this role, which could have easily gone into caricature. Watch this brilliant film if you haven't already.
5. Surekha Sikri from Badhaai Ho
Running Time: 123 minutes
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
Movie Genre: Comedy, Drama
Movie Star Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Sanya Malhotra, Surekha Sikri, Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao
Director: Amit Sharma
Writer: Akshat Ghildial, Shantanu Srivastava
Year of release: 2018
Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Disney plus Hotstar
There are infrequent instances of old female characters in Bollywood films that are well-written. Surekha Sikri in Badhaai Ho is one such example. Her character is witty but kind, motor-mouth but full of wisdom. In an Ayushmann Khurrana film, Sikri stands out as the main focus of the entire story and never fails to share her two cents on her daughter-in-law's pregnancy.
6. Tabu from Andhadhun
Running Time: 138 minutes
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
Movie Genre: Crime, Thriller, Mystery
Movie Star Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Writer: Sriram Raghavan, Hemanth M Rao, Pooja Ladha Surti, Arijit Biswas
Year of release: 2018
Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Netflix
Tabu plays the role of Simi, a character so devilishly amazing and well-written that you can't help but have a soft corner for her. As such a fine actress, Tabu aces it effortlessly with a lot of style. Upon release, Andhahun became a major critical and commercial success and was remade in other Indian languages.
7. Kareena Kapoor in Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham
Running Time: 210 minutes
IMDB Rating: 7.4/10
Movie Genre: Drama, Romance
Movie Star Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, Shah Rukh Khan
Director: Karan Johar
Writer: Karan Johar, Sheena Parikh
Year of release: 2001
Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Netflix
Kareena Kapoor's portrayal of Poo remains one of the most iconic characters to be ever made in Bollywood. The character is the opposite of the traditional Hindi film heroine template. She is mean, rude, brat, and stylish. However, as the story progresses, we get to know her a little more and understand her. Even after so many years, Poo is still frequently referenced.
8. Anushka Sharma from NH10
Running Time: 115 minutes
IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
Movie Genre: Action, Drama
Movie Star Cast: Anushka Sharma, Neil Bhoopalam
Director: Navdeep Singh
Writer: Sudip Sharma
Year of release: 2015
Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Netflix
Anushka Sharma plays the role of Meera, an urban lady living an excellent life. However, things take an ugly turn when a trip with her husband goes wrong, and they are at loggerheads with criminals. Meera's transformation from a sheltered individual to a fearless woman fighting for her life is aa fantasticwatch. You can't afford to miss this gem.
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