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The 30s Club: Actresses Who Rule Bollywood
A common trend in Bollywood was that as soon as an actress turned 30, she either got married or resorted to playing supporting roles of sister, sister-in-law etc.
But things seemed to have changed quite a lot now with some of the top actresses well into their 30s. Finally some good has come out of Bollywood’s obsession with Hollywood. Here are our leading ladies over 30!
10. Chitrangada Singh (Age: 36 years)
'Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi' became a favorite with the critics and made Chitrangada a prominent name on the acting scene. Though she took a sabbatical after marriage to golfer Jyoti Randhawa and motherhood, she returned with a bang in 'Yeh Saali Zindagi' and 'Sorry Bhai'. However, her real sexy makeover came with 'Desi Boyz' and people just couldn’t believe their eyes. She looked ultra-glamorous and people were especially surprised when they learned she was over 30. She has jumped into the commercial bandwagon big time with 'Race 2' and 'I Me Aur Main'. Apart from these films she is also doing a sexy item number in Akshay Kumar-Sonakshi Sinha starrer 'Joker'.
9. Preity Zinta (Age: 37 years)
This dimpled beauty, despite being 30 plus, has managed to look as radiant & fit as ever. Now we don’t want to comment how much the doctors are to be credited for that but she looks as charming as she did before. Although she has been absent from the celluloid for quite a long time now, she is set to return with 'Ishkq in Paris' which is being made under her own production house. But this over 30 actress inspires us for one other reason apart from acting and that is being a successful businesswoman. She owns an IPL team and has managed it quite beautifully over the years. More power to such multi-tasking women!
8. Lara Dutta (Age: 34 years)
The sexy damsel has gone from fab to super fab. She has always been full of oomph and attitude and now that she has become a mommy she looks even more glowy. She can be safely credited with making pregnancy fashionable. When other actresses were trying to hide behind a duppatta, she sported LBDs with her baby bump on full display. As desirable as ever, thumbs up to this rocking hottie in her 30s.
7. Bipasha Basu (Age: 33 years)
When a recent movie’s most talked about point is an actress (who’s over 30 by the way) in a red hot bikini despite the film starring a plethora of other main-stream actors, you know that she has arrived. This sexy lady is over 30 but can give serious competition to a 20 year old in terms of oomph & fitness though we’re not so sure about her acting skills! Being in your 20s doesn’t guarantee success as Bipasha is much more successful and glamorous now than she was ever before. She is set to pump up the glam quotient with her toned look in her Hollywood debut, 'Singularity'. She has been constantly paired with younger actors like Ranbir and was even voted the Sexiest Asian Woman in 2007 by Eastern Eye, a British weekly.
6. Kajol (Age: 37 years)
Kajol is one name that almost guaranteed a film’s success in the 90s. People loved her pairing with Shah Rukh Khan and they gave innumerable hits together. But at the prime of her career she decided to take get married and take a break from movies for a while. But she came back with a bang with Aamir Khan in 'Fanaah'. After 2 kids she is as much in demand as she was before and has got some meaty roles in her kitty.
5. Rani Mukherjee (Age: 34 years)
Rani has always been known for her superb acting skills and was already a super hit heroine in 90s. But she disappeared from the scene for a while in her early 30s only to come rise again. She aced as an actress with 'No One Killed Jessica' to prove yet again why she had been popular in the first place. Though she isn’t as fit and glamorous as a lot of other actresses in their 30s, she’s got a talent repository not many possess. Now, she is all set to set the screens on fire with a raunchy lavani number ‘Aga bai’ in Anurag Kashyap’s 'Aiyya'.
4. Aishwarya Rai (Age: 38 years)
She is probably the most talked about Indian actress globally. Said to be the most beautiful woman in the world, Aishwarya Rai has been consistently proving herself film after film. And contrary to belief, her popularity has only increased after 30. Although she’s married and has a daughter now, her popularity has soared through the roof (despite her looking like a plum these days). Despite all the sarcasm & negative comments, Ash has managed to hold her own and is as confident and desirable as ever.
3. Madhuri Dixit (Age: 45 years)
Show me a person who doesn’t know Madhuri Dixit and I’ll show you a monkey who sings! At 45, Madhuri is as desirable as ever. She was the reigning actress of the 80s and 90s after which she married and settle in the US. But that long break hasn’t diminished her popularity even one bit. Now that she has returned back home, she has become a regular at all the filmy dos and it just doesn’t feel that she had been away at all. A marriage and 2 sons later, Bollywood is still queuing up to sign her; and as a leading lady: no less. This shows how progressive our film industry has become. She has been signed opposite Naseeruddin Shah in 'Dedh Ishqiya' and we cannot wait to see her scorch the screens again.
2. Kareena Kapoor (Age: 31 years)
Kareena was the 1st actress to work with all 3 Khans of Bollywood in a row (Aamir, Shah Rukh & Salman), an achievement in itself. And now she has added another feather to her hat by being the highest paid actress ever. She is commanding a price no actress could ever dream of and has given hope and courage to other leading ladies as well. Although she has been going steady with her beau Saif, she has managed to keep a separate identity for herself. Thankfully for us, age isn’t a criterion anymore in Bollywood and we can hope to continue seeing this lady with an attitude for many more years to come.
1. Vidya Balan (Age: 34 years)
She is the Shah Rukh Khan amongst actresses. After her stupendous outing in 'The Dirty Picture' where she scorched the screen as the 80s siren Silk Smitha, she has become a force to reckon with. The fact that the whole industry is going gaga over her, with directors and producers lining up to sign her & even revising scripts on her demand, she is the prime example of the power of a woman on the other side of 30. She is someone who is absolutely comfortable in her own skin, a trait not seen in many insecure starlets in their 20s. With her lavani item song ‘Mala Jau De’ already a hit, we are sure she will be as much in demand in her 40s as she is now. Here’s to more such actresses!
Bollywood has moved on from its 30s actress stereotype and how! We have been copying movie ideas from the west for ever and it was about time we copied some of the healthy trends too. New India needs to see more such powerful and popular women in their 30s as, going by the current Bollywood trend, 30 is the new 20!
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