Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone: The making of a heroine

For every Deepika Padukone who got a dream launch with Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om, or Sonam Kapoor who entered Bollywood with a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film Saawariya, there is a Katrina Kaif and Sonakshi Sinha who made their debuts with first time directors Kaizad Gustad (Boom) and Abhinav Kashyap (Dabangg). There was a time when directors like Subhash Ghai introduced new girls in their films and they’d become instant stars. The directors of the ’80s and ’90s made stars.

The new lot seems content to work with established actresses. Karan Johar, like his mentor Yash Chopra, has almost exclusively worked with big stars until he launched three newbies in Student Of The Year. Here’s taking a look at all the actresses ruling the marquee and analysing if it is important for heroines to be launched by established directors, or that doesn’t hold true anymore. Read on...

Director’s take
Subhash Ghai, who has introduced several heroines including Manisha Koirala and Mahima Choudhary, says that there is nothing like an established or new director. “There are only good and bad directors. A director should have the guts and know how to present the actors,” he says adding that more than a hero it’s the new heroine who brings freshness on the screen. “Whether it was Saira Banu in Junglee,  Rekha in Saawan Bhadon, Dimple Kapadia in Bobby or Mandakini in Ram Teri Ganga Maili — their first films were hits. If a new heroine is presented in a good way on the screen, she will prove competition to the existing superstar heroines. After that everything depends on how the industry takes her and how the actress chooses her films,” elaborates the showman, who is set to introduce another new girl Mishti in his upcoming Kanchi.

Hare and tortoise story
Mahesh Bhatt feels that a launch with a credible director is good for new talent, but it has its downside too. “If the film doesn’t do well, the actor dies still born. Contrarily if the film works, the world is very generous to the actor in the discovery phase. But once he/she seems to have arrived and awaits the second film, the cynicism sets in. The feeling ‘let’s see what she can do’ takes possession of people. And if after a dazzling launch the actor doesn’t work in the next outing, she is dismissed as one-film wonder,” he quips. On the other hand, he reckons if the newbies make a muted arrival, chances of her rising are more. “It’s like the hare and the tortoise story,” he smiles.

Trade speak
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh is of the view that big or small, known or unknown, it’s not the director but the film that charts the success of its stars. “Today, it’s the script that decides whether the film will work or not. Gone are the days when you thought if a certain person is launching a star, it means he/she will succeed.  Anyone who has a good script can launch anyone now.” A view echoed by tradesmith Komal Nahta. “There is no hard and fast rule to it. Whether the director is established or not, it’s the film that has to work at the box office. We have seen instances of actors being launched by established directors and the contrary happening. 

Sonam Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor were launched by Sanjay Bhansali, but the film didn’t do well. However, it got them noticed as the launch by an established director generated a lot of publicity for the stars. That is half the battle won.” On the other hand, trade observer Amod Mehra cites instances of heroines who had blockbuster debut films, but disappeared after that.  “Whether it was Vijeta Pandit, who made her debut in Love Story or Ameesha Patel who launched her career with Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, both had super duper hits but neither heroine could sustain after that. Recently, some Kapoor (Vani) was launched in Shuddh Desi Romance but who remembers her?”

The first impression
Kaizad Gustad recalls how when he saw Katrina Kaif in London, he knew he wanted to cast her in his film Boom. “I told her she is going to make it big in Bollywood. The reason was simple: She had classic Indian looks and I wanted to cast her just on the basis of that. What she could do or not do was not important,” says Kaizad. However, it took him six months to convince her to take that step, leave her life in England and come to India. It’s a different thing that the film didn’t do well. “Yes, but the task of taking the initiative of deciding to back somebody and showing faith is where all the effort goes and that’s the director’s choice. It is not easy to take that call,” says Kaizad adding, “I was the one who found Katrina – no big deal, but once the name flares up under the lights, everything opens up for the star and as I said, I knew Katrina had it in her to make it big.”

Hero’s choice
For debutant Abhinav, the choice of his first heroine Sonakshi was already made by his hero – Salman Khan in Dabangg. “Though she was Salman’s choice, I found her to be very good. She is a good listener, a quick learner and confident like her father. I am happy for her,” smiles Abhinav.

However, Pallavi Sharda, also a newcomer launched by him in Besharam hasn’t met with success. “She was chosen among several girls who were auditioned. I found her suitable for the part that she was playing and I hope she makes it big as she is hardworking and talented,” says Abhinav about his discovery.

The jury is still out on who provides the best platform for a new girl but everyone agrees that it’s the film that ultimately decides her fate at the box-office.

Big stakes  
l  Kareena Kapoor was launched by JP Dutta, who fresh from the success of Border, made Refugee. The film, however, failed to replicate the magic of his earlier outing and though Kareena got noticed, it was her second film Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai helmed by Satish Kaushik that catapulted her to the top. Incidentally, Kaushik’s track record as a filmmaker was nothing to write home about till then. He had delivered two of the biggest flops, Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja and Prem before hitting upon the winning formula of remaking South hits, starting with Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai.

l Anushka Sharma had the best launch -- a film directed by Adiya Chopra and co-starring none other than Shah Rukh Khan. The film was a blockbuster and yet, for some strange reason, the actress couldn’t cash in on the success. It was finally her third film Band Bajaa Baraat in which she appeared as the talkative, straight-forward, Punjabi kudi that Anushka came into her own and hailed as the next big thing. Now, she is gearing up for her film PK opposite Aamir Khan.

l Sonam Kapoor had none other than Sanjay Leela Bhansali known for his opulence, introducing her on the silver screen. The film faded into oblivion and though her second outing in Delhi-6 directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra won her rave reviews, it was first-timer Punit Malhotra’s I Hate Luv Storys that got Sonam, her first commercial success.

l Nargis Fakhri couldn’t have asked for a better foray into Bollywood - The Kapoor scion Ranbir as her co-star and writer-director Imtiaz Ali launching her in Rockstar. Though Ranbir was declared a superstar after his rocking performance, Nargis couldn’t capitalise on the success of the film. For almost two years she did not sign a single film till Madras Cafe and an item number in Phata Poster Nikla Hero. She is still waiting for her turn under the spotlight.

Small beginnings
Parineeti Chopra was introduced as one of the girls in the multi-heroine film Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl. It had the already established Anushka Sharma playing the lead. But Parineeti’s spark, impish charm and vivaciousness caught attention and she landed a solo hero-heroine film Ishaqzaade. The steadily-on-the-rise actress’s last outing Shuddh Desi Romance brought her both acclaim and commercial success.  

Shraddha Kapoor had a slow start making her debut in the flop film Teen Patti directed by debutante Leena Yadav. Shraddha managed to get noticed despite the presence of stalwarts like Amitabh Bachchan and Ben Kingsely in the film. She followed it up with a dud Luv Ka The End, before striking the right chord with the romantic musical Aashiqui2.  A huge success, the film has catapulted Shraddha into the big league and she will appear with Shahid Kapoor next in Haider.

She did a cameo recently in Imran Khan- Kareena Kapoor-starrer Gori Tere Pyaar Mein.