2015 was the year of the female star. After the Sony hacking incident happened earlier in the year, it was interesting to note that all the signing amounts of the male superstars of Hollywood were out in the open. The writing was on the wall. Like the corporate world where male CEO’s are likely to earn a lot more than their female counterparts, it’s the same rule of thumb in the entertainment industry. All this leaked information triggered a battle of the sexes with Jennifer Lawrence going on record to question the unjustifiable amounts she was getting for her films in comparison with the male actors. Well, to be honest she was not incorrect. Because if you relate to the amounts she was being paid for the Hunger Games series and then did the math it in terms of box office earnings, she is indeed being paid peanuts. And no, she did not have a voice part in the latest Peanuts movie. After kicking butt in the aforementioned films and kicking up a storm in the media it certainly looks like Ms. Lawrence (because of her present day box office clout) will get what’s deserving of her status. Good for her because she does carry the weight of the Hunger Games on her petite shoulders.
Back in Bollywood several heroines have been fighting in the same blitzkrieg. Because in Bollywood with the exception of the extremely popular and successful trio of Khans—Shahrukh, Aamir and Salman—a Bollywood release wins the race at the box office not because of the stars but a medley of good scripts, music and in the case of Ekta Kapoor’s production house, sex and smut. And to clarify here are the films from her studio that brought in the droves of sex-starved Indian men into the cinemas—‘Ragini MMS 2’, ‘Kya Kool Hai Hum’, ‘Kya Super Kool Hai Hum’, and ‘Dirty Picture’ to name a few.

It all started with that ‘Dirty Picture’ that suddenly made the non-decrepit and plain Jane Vidya Balan an overnight sensation. It was the film, and her sexy avatar that catapulted her into the so far male dominated reign in Bollywood. Suddenly producers began to take notice that her presence in a film could fill in the seats and the coffers with money. ‘Kahaani’ followed and then came the duds, one after the other that need not be mentioned. However, a well-written script with a great actress like Vidya Balan is box-office dynamite.
Kangana Ranaut is still the reigning ‘Queen’. A film that almost skirted art-house territory was noticed by big-time producers and directors and got released in multiplexes. Suffice to say that word-of-mouth got this instantly likeable heroine and film unwarranted and unheard of success. The film went on to win several awards, and dialogue writing credits for its female star. The unrecognizable Golliwog haired debutante of ‘Gangster’ was now pulling punches with two back-to-back successes as ‘Tanu Weds Manu 2’ was released soon after, and its sprightly dual roles, or twins played by the same actress were welcomed with ‘Full House’ signs nationally and internationally.

Not to be left behind Anushka Sharma, the roly-poly gharelu girl from ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ streamlined her biceps and her success to emerge as a successful producer in 2015 with ‘NH 10’ a feisty murder-thriller-mystery set in ‘rapist’ terrain or the outskirts of Delhi. Singularly playing on her strength as a box-office draw, ‘NH10’ despite its ‘Adults only certification’ and censorship squabbles drew in the ‘women audiences’ like nobody’s business. Playing up on the tabloid hype women being treated as second class citizens got rave reviews from critics, and the film earned unprecedented collections at the box office. Earlier in December 2014 she starred in the highest grossing Bollywood film of all time ‘PK’. While ‘Bombay Velvet’ that came later on may have collapsed in its Bhel-Puri of a mess, Ms. Sharma’s performance was noticed and she ended the year with ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ that puts her in the A-league of film actresses in Bollywood.
Who else is in the A-league? Deepika Padukone without a doubt. This actress gustily claimed her ‘depression’ status in an industry that is tight lipped about any kind of mental instability. She also showcased her acting chops in ‘Piku’ despite having to share screen space with Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan Khan. She followed her ‘hit’ status with ‘Bajirao Mastani’ that was released globally on December 19. The film has raced past Shahrukh Khan’s ‘Dilwale’ to emerge as the blockbuster of the year, and the cine-goers just like Bajirao’s troops are marching in, absolutely in hoards to catch the actress doing a Madhubala in the ‘Hall of Mirrors’ (one of the most expensive sets created in the history of Indian cinema).

Last but not the least; Priyanka Chopra is still top of her game. Nose job or lip job withstanding she made it to Hollywood with ‘Quantico.’ And since she has captured a world audience, we’re waiting to see whether the money will follow suit—swimsuit, or pencil skirt, who cares?

Jude Paul Fernandes is the author of ‘Frost Bites’ and can be followed on Twitter @judepaulferns