Oct 18, 2004 07:47 PM
2982 Views
(Updated Oct 18, 2004 07:47 PM)
Okay..I just could not resist writing something on this topic despite the fact I am cooling my heels in faraway Scandinavia and that I have thousand other mindless issues on my head. But then I have read almost all reviews in this category and this seems to be the flavor of the month.
Why then, I question, have people questioned the acting capacities of people who were never supposed to act? I mean, the same names, the Riya Sens, Amrita Aroras, Esha have propped up in all the reviews. And isn?t it too easy too mud wash their name given the fact that they do something else up screen and not acting?
Moreover the verdict on them is pretty clear: almost every one of them has packed up their brushes and gone backstage (and will do so very soon if they keep on doing everything but acting)
Here then go my earnest choices, about people who are supposedly more successful ones but who never acted:
Hema Malini: Dream Girl. The perfect face, emerald eyes and ruby smiles. But my eyes could never see any glint of life in that dream girl frame. Agreed she was gorgeous as Basanti, the rustic raunchy ness was the talk of the nation; but for most part of the acting career I found very little to look forward to. The eyes were so unemotive ( Raj Kapoor supposedly had to swear her hard to trickle some teardrops , in her very first film ?Sapno Ka Saudagar?, pity those poor glycerine bottles which could never serve their purpose). I am just trying to recollect those innumerable mediocre movies in the ´80s starting with ?Kranti, Rajput, Aas Paas? ( And I should thank Gulzar for sparing us the torture of casting her as Meerabai, the film never got finished).
Parveen Babi: I know there are people who still confuse this belle with Zeenat Aman (who IMHO, has been the sexiest and most stylish woman to have walked the marquee). For most, Parveen Babi was woefully inadequate in her expressions, her dialogue delivery was awful, but then she had great dancing skills and managed to look great with Amitabh in films like Suhag, Khuddar, Deewar? etc.
Sonam: Remember her? Oye Oye, Nasiruddin Shah, came in most early Rajiv Rai films like Tridev and Vishwatma. Her only claim to fame were the innumerable kisses with Rishi Kapoor in some Yash Chopra movie (maybe Faasle or Vijay, both were flops, Chopra sensed what was wrong and got Honey Irani to write ?Chandni? next). She was the perfect example of how to survive despite being dead from the upwards of the neck.
Aishwarya Rai : Surprised? Wait for the next one. Well I would have liked Ms Rai to be a portrait in my living room and for god?s sake, never come in the silver screen. Everything about her is so superficial, the smile looks borrowed form some Lux ad, the voice ? so kiddish and sometimes cacophonic disaster ( I get reminded of that horrible movie ?Dhai Akshar Prem Ke?). Agreed she was near perfect in Bhanushali?s Devdas but then an actress should be more consistent, imagine Waheeda Rehman in Teesri Kasam or Nargis in Raat Aur Din, very low budget movies which bear their authoritative acting stamps.
Preity Zinta: Okay, all you fans, IMHO she is a very incomplete actor per se. I always get that coochickoo choclaty feeling (may be overflowing past the Perk ads that she appeared in) which makes me sick after some time. She has a tendency to make everything around her look stupid (and hence funny), go around the place with an irritating attitude, and probably lacks all the qualities that make you remember her role. I mean, how many times did you remember what she portrayed, you only remember that there was Ms Zinta in it.
I know critiquing somebody?s acting qualities is not an easy job but then I have tried to do justice to what my honest views are. Comments are welcome.
