Female leads bring drama, emotion and glamour to a film, but every now and then, they tickle your funny bone and leave you in peals of laughter with their impeccable timing and comic energy.
Female comedians such as Tun tun, Manorma and Preeti Ganguly had such a box office pull that they were stars in their own right in the 1950, 60 and 70s and they often had parallel story threads with sizable chunk of screen time.
While, the idea of comedy specialists may be a little rustic in this day and age, our leading ladies have given some spectacular performances in comic roles.
Here are some of the best.
Sridevi as Seema Sohni AKA Miss Hawa Hawai in the 1987 iconic film ‘Mr. India’. A delightfully etched character, performed flawlessly by Sridevi, where she plays a Journalist, who hates kids and ends up as a PG in Arun AKA Mr. India’s rented house, that is a home to about a dozen orphaned kids; The chaos and the madness that follows is portrayed beautifully by Sridevi. From her song Hawa Hawai, or her scene as a drunk gambler in a casino, or the scene when she is trying to convince her editor (Anu Kapoor) of the existence of Mr. India or when she meets the kids for the first time. Each scene has the audience falling off their seats with laughter.
’Rani Mukerji as Tina in the 1998 film ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. The bubbly, effervescent college student, Tina, played by the extremely talented Rani Mukerji is still fresh in our minds. The refreshing dose of humour she injects in the film and her infectious laughter as she laughs at her own jokes is what made KKHH one of the most memorable films of its time.
Kareena Kapoor as Geet Dhillion in 2007 flick ‘Jab We Met’. Who can forget the vivacious and extremely talkative Geet Dhillion who stole our hearts in the super-duper hit film ‘Jab We Met’ Her memorable dialogs such as ‘Main apni favourite hun’ or ‘Aaj tak life mein ek train nahin chuti meri’or ‘Sikhni hoon main… Bhatinda ki’, have crept in our daily conversations.
Priyanka Chopra as Sweety in 2008 movie ‘Dostana’. This films of mistaken and pretended sexual orientations had us rolling in laughter. Priyanka’s character as a sassy, independent women with two friends in love with her was a delight to watch. Quick wit and light-hearted quality proscribed to the character earned Priyanka a lot of praise for her comic timing.
Anushka Sharma as Shruti Kakkar in ‘Band Baaja Baaraat’ (2010): This crazy high energy film say a high octane performance from Anushka as Shruti an ambitious wedding planner, the heart of Delhi. With her spirited performance and infectious enthusiasm, Sharma brought to life the wit and charm of this iconic character, winning over audiences with her impeccable comic timing.
Katrina Kaif as Dimple Dixit in 2011 flick ‘Mere Brother Ki Dulhan’. Katrina portrayal of quirky, eccentric musician Dimple is outright funny and hilarious. Her endearing antics and infectious energy left us begging for more.
Kangana Ranaut as Tanu Trivedi in “Tanu Weds Manu” (2011): Kangana Ranaut’s portrayal of Tanu Trivedi, a free-spirited and rebellious woman, added a delightful twist to this romantic comedy. With her quirky mannerisms and irreverent charm, Ranaut brought to life the humour and spontaneity of this iconic character, earning her praise for her stellar performance.
Deepika Padukone as Veronica in 2012 film ‘Cocktail’. This light hearted romantic comedy drama had Deepika play the character of Veronica, a carefree and vivacious party girl. Her antics and irreverent charm with perfect comic timing won her a lot of hearts and appreciation as an actor.
Alia Bhatt as Kavya Pratap Singh in the 2014 film ‘Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania’ (2014): Alia plays Kavya Pratap Singh, a fun-loving and spirited young woman in this modern romantic comedy film. Alia brings in a delightful touch of humour with her infectious laughter and bubbly personality. The lovable and endearing character of Kavya, gives Alia ample opportunity of showcasing her impeccable comic timing.
Parineeti Chopra as Meeta in 2014 flick ‘Hasee To Phasee’. Her stint in Vinil Mathew directorial Hasee Toh Phasee, in which she starred alongside Siddharth Malhotra, was a flop, but her performance as Dr Meeta Solanki, a geeky scientist with strange mannerisms, was well received.
