When it comes to work, Bollywood can be a hard taskmaster. Negative markings at appraisals are as much part of the system as are performance-related bonuses. So while a hit may propel you ahead of your peers, a flop may sound a soft exit from the scene. Who would know better than Bollywood's actresses for whom even the ‘missus' tag is difficult to handle?
Forced retirement for actresses (even minus the married status) is a reality in the film industry, veiled thinly under excuses such as lack of meaty roles and the supposed focus on things other than acting. In the last couple of years, Sushmita Sen, Ameesha Patel, Bipasha Basu, Preity Zinta and Rani Mukherji, among a few others, have quietly moved away from the limelight of tinsel town. Once the darlings of the industry, these actresses have now almost received the golden handshake from filmmakers.
Sushmita Sen
Career span: 1996-2010
Last hit: Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya (2005)
Beginning her career with the Miss Universe tag and the perennial competition from the then Miss World Aishwarya Rai, Sushmita Sen never showed any spark as an actor. Her biggest credit is arguably the ooh-la-la teacher Chandni Chopra from Main Hoon Na (2004). The actress did some piecemeal roles in the run up to her slowdown in the business of acting. She wanted to produce a film on the Rani of Jhansi but that never materialised. Now she is busy shaping her corporate career. She has launched a beauty pageant for a cause titled I Am She. She is a hands-on business person, from what we hear. She scouts for sponsors and arranges for presentations to be made to them, and was recently reported to have said that she is not interested in acting anymore.
Rani Mukherji
Career span: 1996-uncertain
Last hit: Bunty Aur Babli (2005)
She began her career with hits such as Ghulam and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai , and established herself as an actress of merit with Saathiya, Chalte Chalte, Hum Tum, Veer Zarra, Yuva and Black. dot Even Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna in 2006 gave her a decent deal. But thereafter, Rani's decision to work mainly with YashRaj Films, largely seen as a personal choice due to her supposed proximity with Yash Chopra's son Aditya Chopra, signalled her downfall. Ta Ra Rum Pum, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic and Dil Bole Hadippa , in which the actress invested a lot of time, sank without a trace. Some say her hot bikini number in Dil Bole Hadippa was a last-minute attempt to salvage her foothold in the industry. While that didn't happen, she went on record saying she wasn't being offered roles good enough to entice her. Her story would have in all probability ended in 2009, however with No One Killed Jessica where she played a tough-as-nails reporter, Rani has managed to stage a comeback. The scoop is that Rani has bagged a project opposite Aamir Khan alongside Kareena Kapoor.
Preity Zinta
Career span: 1998-2010
Last hit: Salaam Namaste (2005)
Preity Zinta couldn't have asked for a better start. A rank newcomer to the field, Preity had a dream debut in Mani Ratnam's Dil Se opposite Shah Rukh Khan. It may have been a smaller role compared to that of Manisha Koirala but it made people sit up and take notice. She was still going strong with Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna and Jaan-e-mann in 2006, but after Jhoom Barabar Jhoom failed the next year and her interest in Ness Wadia and the Indian Premier League increased, it was bye-bye Bollywood for her. Sadly, her personal life didn't take the turn possibly intended and Preity headed back to realise that there were no roles for her and a new pack of girls has already taken over in the industry. The result is that she has hosted two shows till date on television and is heading her own production company PZNZ Media whose first film Ishq in Paris obviously stars her.
Ameesha Patel
Career span: 2000-2007
Last hit: Humraaz (2002)
Owning production banners seems to be the thing to do in Bollywood for out-of-the-league actresses. Ameesha Patel now heads Ameesha Patel Productions. The actress too had a good start, like some of her contemporaries, with Kaho Na Pyar Hai . She followed it up with her portrayal of Sakina in Gadar Ek Prem Katha (2001) and Humraaz (2002). Post that it has been a gradual slide. With her bikini cameo in Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic , Ameesha tried rather unsuccessfully to resurrect her career. However, one unexpected role has come like manna from heaven for her. That's Abbas Mustan's Race 2 . But rumours are rife it will be more of skin show than acting skills on display with her slipping into Sameera Reddy's shoes as Anil Kapoor's love interest. Needless to say, she will play the lead in both her home productions which should hopefully be author-backed.
Shilpa Shetty
Career span: 1993-2007
Last hit: Life…in a Metro (2007)
Shilpa Shetty had all the glamour right from the start when she was famously bumped off a terrace by Shah Rukh Khan in her first film Baazigar . She starred with the then upcoming hero Akshay Kumar (also reported beau in those days) in the biggest masala hits. After giving her biggest hit in 2000 in Dhadkan , again with Akshay, Shilpa started sliding down the most favoured charts. She would have almost slipped into oblivion but for the Big Brother win and the racist comments hurled at her by some contestants. Shilpa was back into the game but not really back into acting in films. Karan Johar cashed in on her new-found popularity by giving her the Shut Up and Bounce number in Dostana . Now she is a richie rich Bollywood wife to Raj Kundra and part owns the IPL team of Rajasthan. An Indo-Chinese film called The Desire: A journey of a Woman , where she plays an Odissi dancer, will be releasing this year after which there is nothing to look forward to.
Dia Mirza
Career span: 2001-2010
Last hit: Lage Raho Munnabhai (2006)
Dia is known for being not just a pretty face but also a decent actress — that's a good enough package but she never really made it to the top rung. Reason? By her own admission, it was a lack of ambition. Dia has often been quoted as saying she refused a lot of roles that eventually became the talking point. Instead she opted for roles that she thought were unusual. The result is she has been politely shown the door. Dia has now launched her own production house called Born Free Entertainment with good friend Zayed Khan and even better friend (reports suggest boyfriend) Saahil Sangha. It goes without saying that the first film Love Breakups Zindagi stars both the out-of-work actors, Zayed and Dia.
