Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna...

The other day, I happened to watch one of my favorite movies again on TV and it was Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black. There are many reasons why I term this as one of my favorite movies. Firstly, it was fabulously directed by Bhansali. Secondly, the story was touching, the background score was gripping and cinematography was marvelous. And lastly, performances! No doubt about a classic act from Big B. It was very much expected from him. But I was surprised to see Rani Mukherji as Michelle. I mean, it’s not that I was watching her in any movie for the first time. I had loved her in Mani Ratnam’s Yuva as well. But the way she has performed in Black left me speechless then in the theatre where I watched this movie for the first time and also this day when I was watching it on TV.

I can certainly rate and categorize Rani amongst those classic actresses of Indian Film Industry who gave an altogether different meaning to the word ‘Bollywood Herione’. Madhubala, Meena Kumari, Vjayantimala, Nargis, Waheeda Rehman, Sharmila Tagore, Hema Malini, Rekha, Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit are the most anticipated names of this category. They were Bollywood Queens. There are other ace actresses as well like Juhi Chawla, Kajol, Karishma Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai who made their best attempt to reach the topmost pedestal but weren’t very successful. Rani had the spark to reach the top. The performances she delivered in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Hey Ram, Saathiya, Hum Tum, Yuva, Bunty Aur Babli, Mangal Pandey – The Rising and Black aren’t some jokes. Her last successful attempt was Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna but unfortunately it was the director of the movie Karan Johar who messed up the script and the film couldn’t turn out that well.

But what after that? Babul, Tara Rum Pum, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Saawariya were Box Office Duds. Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic turned out to be another good-for-nothing movie. Is that all from Rani?

The Low phase in career graph is witnessed in each and every actor’s career. Madhuri Dixit too experienced it in 1996 when her movies were simply failing to create the flutter. But don’t forget that Dil To Pagal Hai came in 1997 and Devdas in 2002. Actresses like Madhuri and Sridevi enjoyed a greater period of dominance in the industry. But look at Rani…it’s as if her career graph is going low and low.

The reasons are very much obvious. Rani’s association with Yash Raj Banner has done a lot of mess with her choice of selection of movies. Yash Raj Films are very much stereo-typical and Rani is doing similar kind of roles again and again without any variety like the way she did in Yuva or Black. Or is it that the air of the two consecutive Best Actress Awards which she received for Hum Tum and Black in 2005 and 2006 has gone in her head?

Is this the end of the empire of this queen?