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Bollywood, famously, lacks nuance. Mainstream Indian films have evolved over the years, but its treatment of women, queer folk and other marginalized communities is still falling behind.
At a time when production houses and streaming channels are just opening up their avenues to three-dimensional, fleshed out female characters, global superstar Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's body of work shows a steady commitment to a sensitive portrayal of women.
Ahead of the release of her much-awaited Ponniyin Selvan 1, here are six Aishwarya films that present an honest portrayal of well-written, complex female characters.
Having started her acting career in 1997, it took Aishwarya two years to bag a plethora of roles that massively boosted her professional trajectory. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam is easily a top contender. The way her character Nandini evolves from a spoilt, wild child to a heartbroken, stoic woman who maddeningly pursues Salman Khan's flamboyant Sameer speaks volumes about women fighting for their agency in love.
The same year gave us Aishwarya as Mansi in Subhash Ghai's Taal - another film where her character upholds her agency and irrespective of countless deterrents, goes for what she wants.
Adapted from Rabindranath Tagore’s first novel of the same name, the late Rituparno Ghosh’s Chokher Bali revolutionised Bengali cinema at the time. Aishwarya’s portrayal of Binodini - a deprived, vengeful and sexually frustrated young widow - is an emblem of the plight of child marriage, young widowhood and the social ostracization of widows in the 19th century. Besides holding up a stark image of female autonomy, Chokher Bali also won several National Awards.
Rituparno Ghosh and Aishwarya continued their creatively enriching relationship, thus giving us another masterclass on first love and female desire: Raincoat, a retelling of O. Henry’s heartbreaking short story, The Gift Of The Magi.
With the award-winning Raincoat, Aishwarya pushed countless boundaries as the sullen, cynical Neeru who expresses depths of emotions with a single glance.
Until Sanjay Gadhvi's Dhoom 2, the audience had only seen Aishwarya as the elegant girl-next-door with complexities of her own. However, essaying Sunehri's role was not only a direct contrast from her previous body of work but also brought in a transformative change in her future role.
While the film seriously lacked a solid plot, Aishwarya-Hrithik's electrifying chemistry and screen presence changed the face of anti-heroes in Bollywood.
With more than 10 years of experience in the film industry, Aishwarya was ready to take on even bolder, unexpected roles. Vipul Shah's quirky, Back To The Future-esque romantic comedy, Action Replayy might not have proved to be a success at the box office; but Aishwarya's Mala is a character with a plethora of shades. From being a bully to Akshay Kumar's naive Kishen to a frustrated, bickering wife: one might argue that the film's saving grace was Rai Bachchan herself.
Directed by Karan Johar and starring Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma as the protagonists, the film also features Aishwariya Rai Bachchan in a key role. After breaking off ties with Alizeh (Anushka), Ayan (Ranbir) gets involved in a brief but passionate affair with Saba (Aishwarya).
With an extensive variety of roles essaying strong female representation under her belt, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is all set to star in a dual role in Mani Ratnam's magnum opus, Ponniyin Selvan 1.
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