The Top 5 Typecasts in Bollywood
The upcoming generation of film makers want to create something different from the usual Bollywood fare. However, some are still believers of the ‘formula’ movies and continue to create some irritating typecasts. Here’s a list of the top five type casts in Bollywood.
1.The Dumb
Best Friend
This girl is the secret keeper of
the lead actress and also her best friend. The film makers choose to keep this
character completely dumb so as to make the lead actress appear relatively
intelligent. She might be pretty but always subdued to keep the leading lady as
the object of focus for the audience. In Kal Ho Na Ho, the character of
‘Sweetu’ who plays best friend to Preity Zinta is a dumb and overweight boy
crazy girl. Although ‘Sweetu’ added a comic element to this sob story, most
dumb bffs in Hindi cinemas don’t.
2. The ‘Naukar’
An important
character in the early family sagas of Bollywood; this character used to be the
lifeline of the family. Usually depicted as the faithful servant who becomes
almost a member of the family; many ace actors have portrayed such roles in
Bollywood. Rajesh Khanna in Bawarchi played a servant cum brilliant cook who
slowly won the heart of the family members. In another Rajesh Khanna starrer
movie, Govinda played a servant whom Rajesh Khanna regarded as his younger
brother. The last such Bollywood movie was perhaps Hum Saath Saath Hain, where
Shakti Kapoor played the esteemed employee.
3. The Dutiful Wife
She is the woman
every Indian wife should look up to. Her character is completely devoted to her
husband and her family. She is a projected as a super woman, who gets up early
in the morning before everyone, gets her kids ready, wakes up her hubby and
manages her household chores throughout the day with a smile on her face. In
extreme cases she can even forgive her husband if she found him philandering.
There is no limit to this character’s sacrifices and her impeccable sense of
duty.
Jaya Bacchan played such a role in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham where she never complained or questioned her husband’s decisions; a concept really hard to digest in today’s society.
4. The Beautiful Damsel
If the movie
happens to be a non romantic flick or a non starry one, then the film makers
have an ever successful formula; the beautiful damsel who has no exact
requirement in the script but very essential for keeping the audience glued to
their seats. A glamorous actress (generally a model), her beautiful hair,
perfect smile, plunging necklines and a less than ten minutes of screen
presence is enough to attract viewers to the multiplexes at least for the first
week.
Esha Gupta in the recent Emraan Hashmi starrer Jannat 2 was placed in a similar kind of role where her job was to be the eye candy for the hero and the audience.
5. The Sad But Strong Mother
She is the
hero’s support when everyone leaves him behind. The mothers of Bollywood are
typically the sobbing ladies who bring up their children amidst tonnes of
hardship. This cult generated from the epic movie ‘Mother India’ where Nargis
played the lead. This movie made a mark in Bollywood depicting Nargis as a
mother in distress but strong enough to feed her family. She is moralistic too
and does not support her son’s misdeeds when he becomes a dacoit. Mothers now
in Bollywood haven’t had much of a change excepting their attire and looks.
Sushmita Sen played a modern rock star mom in ‘Zindagii Rockss’ where she
sacrifices her life so that her son could have a heart transplant.
