Blog #3 by Miss R. from Toronto, Canada! Be a Bollywood blog-ibutor on MissMalini.com
What do Deepika Padukone, Aishwarya Rai, Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra have in common? Ok, they have a lot in common, for instance, they’ve all been paired with Abhishek Bachan with varying results, but they’ve also made Tamil/Telugu films at the onset of their careers. For instance, Katrina Kaif was in 2004’s Malliswari, playing the title role of Princess Malliswari, and Priyanka Chopra debuted in Thamizan in 2002. However, they did not develop their careers down South for long and quickly made their way in Bollywood.
So, it was interesting to note when Genelia D’Souza, Asin, and Trisha Krishnan came to Bollywood. Genelia actually had her start in Bollywood with Ritesh Deshmukh in Tujhhe Meri Kasam, but, she only returned to Bollywood recently after great success in Tamil films like Santosh Subramaniam, or Telugu films like Bommarillu. Asin and Trisha Krishnan also became very successful in Southern films before their foray into Bollywood. So, these surprisingly young actresses, only in their early twenties, followed a similar career trajectory; make a name for yourself in the South, then enter Bollywood. These girls are not just pretty faces however, they also have various awards under their belt.
The South has produced some of Bollywood’s greatest, like Rekha and Hema Malini. However, there is still this notion that Southern films are inferior to Bollywood, a notion I disagree with. Southern films often get copied into Bollywood remakes, Billu Barber for instance. While Tamil and Telugu films under-appreciation is another matter, this new trend of Southern Belles blazing into Bollywood has led me to choose a few faces to look out for in Bollywood:
1) Kajal Agarwal is 25 years old and as MissMalini.com reported earlier, she is also following in Asin’s footsteps by acting in a Bollywood remake of a Southern hit, as Asin did. It is also interesting to note she made her debut in Bollywood (in Kyun…! Ho Gaya Na, supporting Aishwarya Rai) before hitting it big in the South like Genelia D’Souza. However, she is also following in Asin’s footsteps by remaking a Bollywood version of her own Southern hit, as Asin did with Aamir Khan in Ghajini.
2) Ileana D’Cruz is only 23, and is also entering Bollywood after Southern success. She is set to star in Barfee with Ranbir Kapoor. Illeana has won the Filmfare Best Telugu Actress award, and was nominated twice, and remember, is only 23.
3) Tammanah Bhatia’s Southern film resume is not as extensive as those above, nor is she making a Bollywood debut anytime soon, but then again she is only 21 years old, and has been in the Southern film industry for a few years. But I have a feeling that this Miss Bhatia will in no time be paired opposite Bollywood’s Mr. Bhatia, Akshay Kumar, as Trisha Krishnan was.
Readers, do you agree/disagree, did I leave anyone out?