Our cinema has made a virtue of the glam dolls. While on the one hand it boasted of great acting skills in the likes of Meena Kumari and Madhuri Dixit, it presented them as either designer doormats or as seasonal Christmas trees , This is an attempt to take a look at ten of the greatest actresses of cinema. Broad is the divide between the actor and the star but in the context of our film makers thin is the line dividing the beautiful actresses from the great performer. This effort however is to look for the actress who has talent , not just the killer looks.



The count could well begin with this diva who had tremendous screen presence. Electrifying smile, she had everything the director wanted, not to mention the producers!! Her presence lifted the script and thus at the beginning :Maduri Dixit. From the effervescent giggly lass wooing her Prem in HAHK to the : Aap mere Pati ho, Parameshwar banner ki khoshish mat karo in Mrityu

At number nine I am compelled to get two actresses as different as chalk is from cheese: Dimple and Jaya Bahaduri. If the later was the one you can take home to Mama, Dimple is the one you would love to take home when Mamma isn’t there!! . Incidentally both shared a filmfare moment with their spouses in a single year. Jaya did some great mid stream cinema. Directors like Basu Chaterjee, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Gulzar cast her repeatedly in their films. Dimple was gorgeous reiterating sensuality. Her matrimonial hiatus did not in any manner discourage Ramesh Sippy to present her as the sensuous heroine in her come back vehicle Sagar, Dimple added to her repertoire some brilliant serious films. Rudali, Drishti are just samples. Our Guddi started with a brilliance that continued till she changed gears with time and age.
Nargis Dutt Her role as Mother India remains the singularly most coveted role. Her swan song Raat Aur Din won her the Urvashi though it was not the sweetest song. Her Mother India is enough to get her a special place in the gallery.
Waheeda Rehman: Want to know the virtues of this grace filled actress ask Guru Dutt, and if immediately Amitabh Bachchan. Grace truly was her middle name. She stood out in the black and white era as the chiselled face that told it all. She could have gone up a couple of notches if only her dialogue delivery in the earlier days was less flat. Special mention of how she holds her own in Sahib Biwi aur Ghulam and her strong role in


For sheer vibrancy and screen energy she was matchless. At a time when actresses ran to the parlour, she studied the script. Kajol achieved everything that Mama could have but did not. Her magical pairing with Shahrukh added the icing to a short but eventful career. Even her post marriage career saw her deliver performances like Fanah and U Me and Hum.

A filmography which had four outing with Ray and as many with Shakti Samanta and Hrishikesh tells how seriously every one took our Censors Chief. The queen of Nakhras, made as straight a statement in Mausam as she kept quiet in Anupama. Too much glamour at the end of the day. I hope even now she gets some good scripts. Talent in abundance : Sharmila Tagore
Tabu: True royal talent. One Astitva is enough. Then there is Hu Tu Tu. Talk of her greatness and you have abundance of proof without even talking of Maachis and Chandini Baar. Unfortunately, this career is Cheeni Kum for lack of focus.
Nutan: Not for nothing did this actress get her shelf full of awards. Bimal Da made some of the best films with her centre stage. From the negative Bandini to ever weeping southie films with Sunil Dutt, her presence in the gallery at the near top is a true salute to great talent.
Shabana Azmi: No actress has so much to show in the name of brilliant performances as she. Give her any brand of cinema and she delivered with a signature that spelled class. From Ankur to the latest every script was a reiteration of brilliance and commitment. International standard- Oscar or no Oscar in the shelf.
Meena Kumari: Given the definition and limitation of the part heroines played in her times, she stands out in the galaxy for not just being the perfect door mat ever but also for giving us the rebellious Biwi in the Guru Dutt classic. Watch her nuances in the final movie ( or nearly) Mere Apne and you cannot but wonder what she could have done with the Directors who came after she left early and in tragedy.

LRC.