Battle
Royale: World Vs
Universe
MUMBAI:
It's a battle royale between former Miss World
Aishwarya Rai and ex-Miss Universe Sushmita Sen
for claiming the mantle of Numero Uno in Bollywood.
Both the beauty queens are leaving no stone unturned
to prove their histrionics on the silver screen.
While Aishwarya Rai is currently preoccupied with
signing film after film, there has been no dearth
of producers to give a knock at Sushmita's door
as well.
Both
the stars are working with big banners and ace
directors: Both of whom are waiting with bated
breath a string of releases to
know their fate at the box-office. Aishwarya's
latest trial of talents will be the film version
of Bengali classic novel Devdas. In this tragic
love story she is pitted against queen of hearts
Madhuri Dixit. The film is due for release next
month.
However, for Aishwarya it has been a bumpy ride
to stardom. First to face the archlights (compared
to Sushmita): her maiden film simply came a cropper
- apparently leaving producers and directors a
disappointed lot. Critics wrote her off promply
as "a beauty not cut out for cinematic debut".
About her performance in the movie Jean
they wrote: "She has proved nothing beyond an
appearance. The role was expecting a lot from
her. But she appears to have not made a head or
tail of the screen character. With her dismal
performance the moot point now is whether models
aspiring to become actresses can take the plunge
into the tinsel world".
Such harsh comments on Ash, as she is popularly
known, did not deter her from pursuing a career
incinema. She strove hard to prove the critics
patently wrong. And the movie which set Aishwarya
rolling was Sanjay Leela Bhasali's blockbuster
Hum Dil Chuke Sanam.
Her role of an estranged lover and a dutiful housewife
starring Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan was really
a tough one.
 |
|
Aishwarya
Rai in Hum Kisise Kum Nahim
|
Happy with the performance, Bhansali has now cast
her in an equally challenging role in his forthcoming
film Devdas
featuring Shahrukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit. Says
Bhansali, "When I saw Aishwarya on the screen
I was convinced of the artiste in her. She only
needed a good director to shape her up as an artiste.
While making Hum Dil
De Chuke Sanam, I gave her ample opportunity
to explore and expose her artistic moorings. Though
the movie starred Ajay and Salman, Aishwarya was
the pivot. She was supposed to forget her tempestuous
love in the past and start life afresh with her
arranged husband. No doubt she played the role
with a rare touch of conviction".
Bhansali is equally optimistic about Devdas.
"She plays an equally important role. I would
not like to diisclose the details. But I am sure,
once Devdas
sees the light of day Ash would be remembered
fore her cogent artistic performance". Not only
Bhansali, but a number of directors too are pinning
hopes on Aishwarya. Noted director Satish Kaushik,
who directed her in Aap
Hamare Dil Mein Rahete Hein, says Ash
portrayed the role of a rape victim with reality.
She was suppopsed to reveal her emotional trauma.
I think she was able to bring forth convincingly
that she had been wronged and deserved social
acceptance. I personally feel a great future awaits
her.
Sushmita Sen is also no less sought-after actress
in the Hindi film industry. Her maiden film Dastak,
directed by Mahesh Bhatt, may have been a complete
wash-out in terms of returns. But the fiasco hardly
stifled her. She soon bounced back with a bang
portraying a wide variety of roles. In the movie
Bibi No 1,
she portrayed the role of a beloved very well,
giving tough competition in a negative role to
a senior artiste like Karishma Kapoor. Says Mahesh
Bhatt: "Sushmita has a slot reserved for her in
this industry. She is hard-working. She is also
receptive and also absolutely amenable to suggestions.
She fits the role of a modern girl admirably well.
As is proved in Bibi
No 1.
"In Dastak
also she portrayed a certain vividity which is
very difficult to do on the part of
debutant artistes. Yet she did that
very very well. I am sure she will go places in
Bollywood. Both Ash and Sush are talented. Both
have one India proud. Both of them are now plunged
into a battle royale to don tthe much-coveted
Bollywood crown. Only time will tell whether World
will beat Universe or vice versa."
She
was a hit with her negative role in Sirf
Tum. Her pseudo-negative character
in Tum Bin
also won her much appreciation. Both films were
a success at the box-office and established her
as an upcoming star in commercial cinema. Her
latest performance, of a teacher for blind chilldren
who is roped in by a sacked bank manager (Amitabh
Bachchan) to train up three blind men to loot
the same bank, has many shades. A tough role,
she takes it in her stride.
-by A Film Critic
June 21, 2002
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