The Top 10 Leading Ladies Club

Gone
are
the
days
when
Bollywood’s
ruthless

numero
uno
obsession
used
to
be
the
media’s
biggest
preoccupation.

But
with
streaming
determined
to
coexist
as
intently
as
the
silver
screen,
there’s
enough
work
for
everybody
and
more
than
one
throne
to
occupy.

We
decided
to
look
at
who’s
making
all
the
right
noise
in
top
circles
these
days
and
realised
quite
a
few
of
our
A-listers
are
playing
hooky.

Aishwarya
Rai
Bachchan
doesn’t
have
any
new
project
in
the
works.

Katrina
Kaif
is
focusing
on
her
makeup
business.

Priyanka
Chopra’s
caught
up
with
Hollywood.

Anushka
Sharma’s
busy
with
her
two
kids.

Kangana
Ranaut
has
immersed
herself
in
politics
on
and
off
screen.

Rani
Mukerji
does
one
author-backed
role
at
a
time.

At
any
rate,
the
show
goes
on
and
quite
splendidly
at
that.

Sukanya
Verma
lists
10
of
our
best
ruling
the
roost
of
Hindi
cinema
right
now.

Deepika
Padukone

As
if
Deepika’s
double

dhamaka
in
back
to
back
blockbusters

Pathaan
and

Jawan
wasn’t
dazzling
enough,
she
followed
it
up
with
an
uber
glam
pilot
in

Fighter
and
miracle
mother
of
earth’s
saviour-to-be
in

Kalki
2898
AD.

Though
she’s
just
delivered
a
bonny
baby
girl,
the
lady’s
maternity
leave
will
barely
register
when
she
returns
to
the
silver
screen
again
this
year
on
Diwali
as
part
of
Rohit
Shetty’s
star-studded
super
cop
universe
in

Singham
Again.

Alia
Bhatt

At
31,
when
some
actors
are
still
struggling
to
find
a
foothold
in
the
industry,
Alia
has
already
showcased
her
talent
in
an
array
of
movies,
turned
producer
and
got
a
taste
of
Hollywood
as
well.

Following
a
row
of
successes
like

Gangubai
Kathiawadi,
Darlings,
RRR,
Brahmastra
and

Rocky
Aur
Rani
Ki
Prem
Kahani,
which
was
her
first
release
after
the
birth
of
baby
Raha,
Alia
is
all
set
to
unlock
another
step
towards
world
domination
as
the
tiger
sis
going
all
out
to
rescue
her
baby
brother
in

Jigra.

Kareena
Kapoor
Khan

The
44
year
old
is
keeping
it
real
and
ruling
the
roost
all
at
once
as
she
continues
to
balance
mainstream
and
meaningful
over
a
mix
of
projects
that
allow
the
actor
to
let
her
hair
down
like

Crew
as
well
as
challenge
her
art
like

Jaane
Jaan
and

The
Buckingham
Murders.

Give
it
up
for
Kareena
Kapoor
Khan,

apni
favourite,

sabki
favourite.

Shraddha
Kapoor

Shraddha
has
miles
to
go
in
the
acting
department.
But
her
star’s
steadily
on
the
rise
ever
since
she
first
appeared
in
and
as

Stree‘s
bewitching
mystery.

A
sizzling
romance
opposite
Ranbir
Kapoor
in

Tu
Jhoothi
Main
Makkaar
only
added
to
the
hype.

And
now
that

Stree
2‘s
become
the
biggest
blockbuster
ever,
the
lady’s
popularity
has
exploded
to
red-hot
levels.

Kriti
Sanon

Behind
that
fit
and
fabulous
persona
is
a
bright


young
woman
raring
to
go
and
capable
of
springing
a
pleasant
surprise
or
two
when
tempted
to
push
the
envelope.

What
gave
rise
to
a
National
Award-winning
turn
in

Mimi
has
evolved
into
a
confident
performer
capable
of
sensitivity
(Bhediya),
humour
(Teri
Baaton
Mein
Aisa
Uljha
Jiya)
and
whimsy
(Crew).

Advantage
Sanon.

Taapsee
Pannu

Taapsee
has
mastered
the
‘woman
singularly
overcoming
crisis
and
chaos’
genre
so
well,
heroes
serve
little
to
no
purpose
in
her
self-sufficient
scheme
of
things.

Even
when
the
beats
seem
all
too
familiar,
kudos
to
the
star
for
living
her
professional
(and
personal
life)
on
her
terms
and
not
employing
any
PR
machinery
to
go
overboard
about
it.

Vidya
Balan

Box
office
seems
immaterial
when
an
actor
turns
their
journey
into
such
an
adventure
as
Vidya
Balan.

Tumhari
Sulu,
Mission
Mangal,
Sherni,
Jalsa,
Do
Aur
Do
Pyaar
—
her
body
of
work
speaks
volumes
of
what
drives
her
towards
excellence.

And
it’s
clearly
not
all
work
and
no
play
if
she
gamely
agrees
to
recreate
her
eerie
Manjulika
memories
and
join
the

Bhool
Bhulaiyaa
3
bandwagon.

You
can
count
on
her
to
keep
things
exciting,
always.

Yami
Gautam

Yami
may
not
be
big
on
the
celebrity
radar
but
the
actress
has
kept
it
steadfast
and
solid
on
the
professional
front.

Whatever
reservations
one
may
harbour
about
the
politics
of
her
cinema
choices,
be
it
Uri
or

Article
370,
there’s
fearlessness
about
her
willingness
to
play
unlikeable
(OMG
2),
tough
nut
(Dasvi)
or
superficial

(Bala).

Sanya
Malhotra

When
on
the
subject
of
talent
speaking
for
itself,


Sanya
Malhotra‘s
name
is
first
to
come
to
mind.

Though
her
biggest
box-office
hits
—

Dangal
and

Jawan
—
are
Khan-centric
in
nature,
she’s
carved
a
niche
for
herself
over
the
course
of
meaty
parts
and
pitch-perfect
performances
in
middle-of-the-road
gems.

Up
next,
another
acclaim-ready
role
in
and
as

Mrs,
an
official
remake
of
the
Malayalam
drama,

The
Great
Indian
Kitchen.

Tabu

While
most
of
her
fellow
’90s
contemporaries
have
settled
into
domestic
bliss,
judging
reality
shows,
running
side
businesses
or
making
exceptions
for
one-off
comebacks
on
OTT,
Tabu’s
active
and
kicking
career
shows
no
signs
of
slowing
down.

Hailed
as
one
of
the
best
actors
in
the
country,
the
lady
has
both
hits
(Andhadhun,
Drishyam
2,
Bhool
Bhulaiyaa
2,
Crew)
and
hard-hitting
characters
(Haider,
A
Suitable
Boy,
Khufiya)
in
her
kitty,
not
to
mention
a
role
in

Dune:
Prophecy,
an
HBO
adaptation
of
one
of
Frank
Hebert’s
books
in
the
series.

Other
Hot
Contenders
for
the
Hot
Seat

Kiara
Advani

Kiara
has
the
charisma
and
the
skills
to
boot.

With
hits
like

Kabir
Singh,

Shershaah,
Good
Newwz,
Bhool
Bhulaiyaa
2,
Satyaprem
Ki
Katha
behind
her
and

War
2
looking
to
take
her
stardom
up
a
notch,
the
33
year
old
is
poised
to
find
her
sweet
spot
under
the
sun.
 

Ananya
Panday

Slowly
but
surely
trying
to
prove
herself
as
a

lambi
race

ka
ghoda,
that’s
Ananya
for
you.

Her
moving
vulnerability
in

Gehraiyaan
and
accurate
portrayal
of
Gen
Z
in

Kho
Gaye
Hum
Kahan
made
everyone
see
her
beyond
the
sorry
interviews
and
silly
star
kid
imagery.

But
OTT
debut

Call
Me
Bae
is
where
she
truly
hits
it
off
the
park
and
shrewdly
turns
her
disadvantages
into
her
appeal.

We
cannot
wait
to
see
what
sweet
surprise
her
next

CTRL,
directed
by
Vikramaditya
Motwane,
for
Netflix
holds.

Rashmika
Mandanna

Pushpa
and

Animal
catapulted
Rashmika
to
big
league
stardom.
All
she
needs
to
do
now
is
highlight
her
mettle
and
magnetism
outside
problematic,
misogynistic
storytelling.
 

Triptii
Dimri

Triptii
Dimri’s
wispy
beauty
and
serene
creativity
left
a
lasting
impression
in

Laila
Majnu,
Qala,
Bulbul
but
it
would
take
a
seductive
bit
in

Animal
that
would
turn
her
into
a
household
name
and
‘National
Crush.’

Be
it

Bad
Newz
or
soon-to-release

Vicky
Vidya
Ka
Woh
Wala
Video,
even
rom-com
makers
cannot
stop
cashing
on
the
scorchingly
sexy
facet
of
her
newfound
fame.

Sharvari

The
smiley-faced,
light-eyed
actress
debutant
of

Bunty
Aur
Babli
2,
finally,
found
her
breakout
moment
in

Munjya‘s
runaway
success,

Maharaj‘s
OTT
fever
and

Vedaa‘s
action-packed
vigour.

Ready
to
kick
butt
alongside
Alia
Bhatt
on

Alpha,
the
latest
female-centric
spin-off
in
the
YRF
Spy
Universe,
Sharvari
is
ready
to
reach
new
heights.