From Priyanka Chopra to Taapsee Pannu, how Bollywood A-listers have embraced real-life characters
Bollywood has consistently looked to real-life stories to make outstanding films. Here are some recent films that have caught the audience's eye.
When real-life heroes are depicted on reel, do their stories become larger than life? When a Sonam Kapoor plays the heroic flight attendant Neerja Bhanot, are more young women inspired? Did Kangana’s full-throated war cry in Manikarnika bring the valour of the Rani of Jhansi to the 21st century masses?
What is it about actors depicting real-life characters that attract the audience in hordes? It’s a double deal for them – the powerful stories of the characters in question played by actors they admire and love.
Bollywood has consistently looked to real-life to make outstanding films.
Here are some recent films and actors that have made their real-to-reel depictions worthy of adulation and fame:
Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar – Saand Ki Aankh
The recent film is based on the lives of sharpshooters Chandro Tomar (Bhumi Pednekar) and Prakashi Tomar (Taapsee Pannu) who battled patriarchy, and everyday drudgery to become the ‘revolver daadis’ well into their 80s.
In interviews, actor Taapsee Pannu revealed that she lived with the women for some time to get into the skin of her role and understand the lives they lead.
Though the film saw many controversies much before its release, it’s heartening to note that young actors were cast in the roles. The film has not got off to a roaring start at the box office and has received mixed reviews from critics.
Kangana Ranaut – Manikarnika
The film starring Kangana Ranaut in the role of Queen of Jhansi, Rani Laxmibai was mired in controversies from the very beginning with the co-director and the actor in a war of words over its production. However, the film raced past the Rs 100-crore mark and became a huge success.
The story resonates through generations of how a strong-willed queen laid down her life fighting in the First War of Independence, which the British had summarily dismissed as the Sepoy Mutiny. In Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, which celebrates her life, Kangana Ranaut plays the queen (born Manikarnika Tambe) right from tender moments as a young girl to raging scenes from the battlefield.
As a woman fighting a battle with men, Kangana plays the role to the hilt, bringing life to the character amid stunning visuals and a story that is already high up there on the patriotism platform.
Zaira Wasim and Priyanka Chopra – The Sky is Pink
It's a pity that Zaira Wasim has given up acting. Her stellar role in the recent The Sky is Pink is a testament of her calibre as an actor who goes all the way portraying a real-life character with a story that tugs at the heartstrings.
Soon after she is born, Aisha Chaudhary is diagnosed with SCID, a rare genetic and life-threatening disorder. The film revolves around her parents Aditi and Niren Choudhary’s resolve in helping their child fight many crises in life before she eventually dies.
Zaira as Aisha essays a soul-stirring performance that adds life to even death. While Priyanka Chopra, as Aisha’s mother Aditi, walks away with the chunk of the film, it’s Zaira’s performance that comes across as heart-breaking.
Vidya Balan – Mission Mangal
Mission Mangal is Bollywood’s tribute to the women of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) who were instrumental in India’s first mission to Mars. Released on August 15 this year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ISRO, Mission Mangal follows the lives of the women who worked tirelessly to make the mission a success.
Vidya Balan plays Tara Shinde, the project director and a multi-tasker who must take care of home and office efficiently, tiresome teenagers and a grumpy husband to do another thing she is best at – controlling a mission that will catapult India into Martian orbit. Vidya is her characteristic self, plays both goofy and serious with ease but, ultimately, she is a woman not be messed with.
The film tackles the women leaders’ issues at work, mummy guilt, and expectations before they reach their goal. Though not quite in the Hidden Figures bracket, you can watch Mission Mangal for its women, especially the feisty Vidya Balan.
(Edited by Evelyn Ratnakumar)
