There is that one moment in every actor or actresses career that gives birth the superstar inside them. A role of a lifetime that puts them on the map. A character that launches them into the hearts of the audiences across the globe. After this role there is no looking back, for most of them at the least. BollySpice now takes you on a journey down memory lane as we look back at what roles, films and makers that gave us the superstars we have amongst us today!
Preity Zinta
You have to start a journey with a smile and a bag of endless hope. No one better describes this feeling than our very own Preity Zinta, who simply does not run out of her amazing energy and aura that lights up the screen every time she graces it. Even though she debuted with the cinematic genius Mani Ratnam it still took us almost five years to realize the capabilities of this young lady. It was Naina Catherine Kapur that put Preity on the map in Nikhil Advani’s directorial debut Kal Ho Na Ho. This too was a total work of fate because it’s no secret that Preity was not the first choice for the role – her colleague Kareena politely turned down the role of a lifetime to give Preity a tailor made platform to showcase her talent and show to the world that she’s much more than a pretty smile and a bubbly personality. This role gave her the award of Best Actress in a leading role which she had earlier missed out on when she was nominated for Kya Kehna. It was a bit delayed but success was waiting for Preity and today we know her as one of the biggest names in Indian cinema as she entertains and pleasantly surprises us with each new challenge she takes on board.
Abhishek Bachchan
Like them or hate them but one simply cannot ignore the fact that star kids are an integral part of Indian cinema. They always have been and always will be. So in a cinema where comparison to your forefathers is a way of life can you imagine being the son of the legendry Amitabh Bachchan and aiming for one review, one critic to commend you on YOUR style, YOUR persona and YOUR performance rather than compare it to your father’s? Abhishek Bachchan perhaps suffered from this dilemma in the first five years of his career until Mani Ratnam gave him the career defining role of Lallan Singh in Yuva. The performance gave Abhishek his own place in the industry, one that was based on his talent and capabilities. In addition, Lallan Singh’s portrayal was appreciated and awarded at almost every popular award function of the season. Of course this performance was followed up by another ground breaking portrayal in a Mani Ratnam film, Guru, which simply reinstated the fact that Abhishek Bachchan is a keeper with or without a filmy family. The rest like they say is history because as we know today he is one of the most sought after names in the industry and his popularity seems as unwavering as his critical acclaim. More great things are promised by this fine actor and we’ll surely be waiting with baited breathes.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Her beauty may have never been undermined although sadly it took our makers and audiences a little while to witness the powerhouse talent that also hides beneath one of the prettiest faces in the world. Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam gave the role of a life time to Ash that instantly brought her to the top of the list of ruling queens of Indian cinema. Nandini’s character had just the right amount of charm to delight the audiences and the right amount of depth needed to initiate a breakthrough performance to send a ‘wake up’ call to the critics. Of course 1999 was a golden year for Ash because if HDDCS was missed by anyone then there was Subhash Ghai’s Taal which also gave her ample scope to showcase her talent in the role of Mansi. Today she’s one of the biggest names of not just the industry but India and continues to remind us that glamour and beauty is not all that she’s good for with more mind blowing performances in films like Raincoat, Guru and Jodha Akbar. With an interesting list of films lined up for the year ahead, we hope she continues to charm us with both her beauty and talent.
Shahrukh Khan
It almost seems silly and a bit daunting to look back at the historical career graph of one of India’s biggest celebrities. How can one pin point on that one role that touched the hearts of millions and still continues to do so? But then one just has to sit back and think of one name that comes to their mind when they think ‘Shahrukh Khan’ and that name is ‘Raj Malhotra’. A role that made him the ideal life partner, the ideal son and the ideal son-in-law. A love story that makes the most unromantic beings of all cry or at the least sigh an ‘awww’. Dilwale Dhulaniya Le Jayenge is a legendry film for various reasons and one of the most crucial ones is that it gave India one of its biggest superstars. Prior to this he was noticed as the obsessed lover or the revenge seeking young man, but there was no such role that made him a known name in every household amongst every age group. DDLJ did just that. Raj was popular with mums, the daadi’s, the girls of course, the kids and perhaps even the boys who surely tried to imitate his style or techniques when pursuing their Simrans. After this Shahrukh Khan quickly gained the status of King Khan and Badhshah of Bollwood, amongst many others. Today he’s often recalled as the ‘Raj’ or ‘Rahul’ but it was the Raj that came first hence we zero down on this legendry tale of love and this charming character to be the career defining moment of the superstar we all love and cherish today, Shahrukh Khan.
Priyanka Chopra
At this very present moment she just may be the reigning queen of the screen. The year gone by was a tremendous one for the ex-Miss World with both critical and commercial success in the forms of Fashion and Dostana. However, what was the moment that started it all for the beauty queen? Without a doubt it would have to be her sexy and sheik portrayal of Soniya Roy in Abbas Mustan’s Aitraaz. Vamps are rather common characters in trademark Hindi soaps but the big screen doesn’t always accommodate such characters which simply means our actresses rarely get the chance of showing their versatility in such a role. Luckily for Priyanka, this role of literally a life time came her way only two year into her carer. And boy did she grasp it with both hands or what! Not only did she deliver an absolute knockout performance but also became the second woman in the history of Indian cinema to win the trophy of Best Villain at the Filmfare Awards. Priyanka was the second lady after Kajol to create history by securing the trophy. Of course after this role directors all over became very alert to the fact that there was not much this ball of talent cannot do. Today she’s proved herself in every genre from comedy to action and drama. All that is left to say is that without a doubt in the current time there is no one more deserving of the top spot that Priyanka holds. And with more and more prestigious projects on her list it seems like she’ll definitely put up a fight in maintaining her status. We certainly aren’t complaining!
Cinema gives birth to many superstars everyday but time only permits us to go this far into memory lane in this moment. As we look back in time we see how much luck, opportunity and talent is required to work hand in hand in creating a superstar. Perhaps after reflecting thus far you can ponder on what created your favorite superstar. Be sure to comment us and let us know! Till next time, keep visiting BollySpice as we continue to entertain and keep you updated on the latest news and features about the most colorful and intriguing world of cinema where anything is possible!
