Does second innings for heroines work in B-Town?

As Madhuri Dixit pranced across all media platforms – Press, TV, social – promoting her new release Total Dhamaal last month, making all the right noises, with Juhi Chawla having done the same a few weeks ago, while plugging Ek Ladki Ko Dekha, it’s an appropriate time to wonder whether for Bollywood junkies, this translates to an ecstatic yesterday once more or a rude, Le Aunty phir aagayee?

Truth is, comebacks for ex-heroines are a tricky terrain. While the once an actor, always an actor quote sounds cute, it hardly ever applies meaningfully to Showbiz, especially for women and specifically in Bollywood. The world is changing at nano-second speed and along with it, tastes, mindsets, likes and dislikes of the ever-changing audience-base. Their perception of stars, glamour, looks, sex appeal, etc. is totally new-age and the conflict of yesterday versus today has never been more real. Heroines, once red-hot [but now into the marriage and motherhood zone] looking for a second innings, need to get some facts straight: Their days of wine and roses, ra-ra raging popularity as desirable divas are clearly over. Egos need to be safely tucked away at home and expectations kept at minus zero temperature while negotiating and navigating this new space. That way, while hoping for the best, they will be prepared for the worst. Also, it would be rewarding for others aspiring to join this club, to remember that La Dixit’s much hyped return in Aaja Nach Le [a few years ago] had to be peeled off the ceiling and both Ishqiya and Dedh Ishqiya didn’t invite the remotest dhak-dhak from the viewers. Juhi’s Gulab Gang too – where she faced off with old rival Madhuri – tragically followed the same law of diminishing returns. Heroines who suffered a similar fate include Rekha [Super Nani], Raveena Tandon [Sandwich, Buddha Hoga Tera Baap] Preity Zinta [Ishq in Paris] Manisha Koirala [Bhoot Returns] and Ash Rai Bachchan [Aei Dil Hai Mushkil, Fanney Khan]. If the late Sridevi [English Vinglish, Mom] and Rani [Hichki] pulled it off, it’s largely because their vehicles were well-scripted, both author-backed and age-appropriate, allowing them to consolidate their strengths. Further, they were helmed by intelligent, perceptive and clear-headed directors, neither distracted nor intimidated by their reputation or back-story.

Another huge roadblock for these ladies – apart from not connecting with Gen X – is the fact of their having to shift focus in terms of re-invention to re-cast and re-brand themselves as actresses and not stars, solely depending on beauty, glamour, charm, sex-appeal and most important, romantic charisma. Hence performance, not looks, is the name of the new game. As stars, one could get away with murder as long as beauty and sex appeal were in place. As actors, acting and histrionics need to surface and come centre-stage. This presents the ladies with a challenge and an opportunity. Both Madhuri and Juhi have seen the highs and lows of stardom and have undoubtedly learnt the rules of the game. Unlike Hollywood, where most big heroines are married with kids and yet command great fees and following, here it’s a problem area. The Mom-brigade needs to understand and make its peace with some simple facts: That their days of creating total dhamaal are over. That seeing them, no one – like they once did – will ever croon Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga … that post-marriage and motherhood, the conditions apply big time! That today they will play supporting roles in ensemble casts, not central as they once did with such authority and style. Most importantly, unless they really stand out, they could well be forgotten and their roles brushed aside …

As this goes into print, news arrives that Total Dhamaal has [despite being roundly eeeked by critics] garnered a good opening and has been declared a hit, undoubtedly pleasing director Indra Kumar [Beta, Raja] and his single-minded focus of offering trash-with-flash! A direct lift from the sixties classic It’s a Mad, Mad World, with rip-offs from the more recent Hangover, perceptive audiences believe that Kumar has lost a splendid opportunity of mining some of the old, evergreen Anil-Madhuri magic, through either dialogues, songs or situations. Instead, he converted them into a screaming couple, mouthing corny, chaalu, down-market taali-inducing and titillating dialogues to woo the jhatka crowd. If this is what Madhuri [once considered a beautiful and versatile actress] so carefully chooses for her return journey, it’s clearly a case of total kamaal!