This Article is From Feb 28, 2015

Bhumi Pednekar, Parineeti: Bollywood Welcomes Unconventional Heroines. Or Does It?

Bhumi Pednekar, Parineeti: Bollywood Welcomes Unconventional Heroines. Or Does It?

Bhumi Pednekar in a still from Dum Laga Ke Haisha

Mumbai:

Unconventional leading ladies of late have been given a supersized welcome by Bollywood. Like Yash Raj Films' heroine Bhumi Pednekar, now on the big screen in Dum Laga Ke Haisha, or a little earlier from the same film studio, Parineeti Chopra. (Movie Review: Dum Laga Ke Haisha)

But pretty soon the welcome mat seems to wear a bit thin, especially when it seems to come to a plus sized heroine. What was once lauded as a refreshing change starts to become the hand that feeds you biting instead.

We've seen it happen with Parineeti, who even seems to have given into the flak that surrounds her weight. During the promotions of Daawat-e-Ishq Parineeti had said, "When I see a picture and it's not looking good I know why it's not looking good and hence I need to do something about it. Right now I'm in the phase of doing something about it. Let's hope it shows." (Also Read: How Bhumi Pednekar is Different From These 13 Yash Raj Heroines)

Others like Sonakshi Sinha may have chosen to fight back with pointed tweets, while some like Huma Qureshi just end up getting silently sidelined. Huma may have had the meatier role in the recent well-received Badlapur but it was Yami Gautam who ended up accompanying Varun Dhawan on most of the promotions.

It may not be worth looking to Hollywood for much inspiration either. Oscar-nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe hasn't been spotted on the big screen post Precious, even though she has managed to carve out a fairly successful career on the small screen. Yes, the unconventional heroine may be struggling with staying power on both sides of the pond. But just the fact that there's an all new mould, other than the cookie cutter, has us hopeful that soon unconventional leading ladies will soon not be just a fad but a force on film.

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