Heroines don’t do films because a particular role given to them is good, but because of the scale, because of the hero or because something else about the film is big. They only want the price going up because they are active with big stars. Their visibility grows. The prerequisite to be a star heroine is white skin, should be comfortable showing skin and most importantly you shouldn’t be a Telugu girl. Can we find any outstanding role and performance for a heroine here? If a big hero film flops, the leg of the heroine turns from flesh to iron. She solely becomes responsible for the flop or to a large extent. Everyone says her last two films were flops as if she had a great deal to contribute. The writers too limit roles for the girls because the hero won’t like it. The question posed is…is the film running on me or her? If you want, do a woman centric film. People in the South go to watch a star hero. Once upon a time, the role was meant for the story and not the hero. The equations have changed and the introduction of the hero has become very important. Writers tear their brain to show him really big. A popular veteran director gave a guest lecture in a film school and while recollecting his landmark movie he said, “Hero entry chala important, we thought a lot and we finally decided that the hero will come on an elephant.”
We all know Dirty Picture was based on Silk Smitha. Her item songs became so famous that every producer would book her for at least one song in the film. The audience would lap it up and leave the cinema hall once her song gets done in the story. That was the level of her popularity. On the sets, the hero arrives and walks past her. Silk is sitting, doesn’t stand and the hero gets very angry. The repercussions are long lasting on Telugu cinema. He says after today, there won’t be an item number and we shall give her role to the heroine, make her dance. Why should a vamp become famous? Why not strip a heroine? Ab heroine ko nanga karenge! That was entertainment and sheer entertainment and also a very defining moment in the Telugu film industry. When Sridevi returned from Bollywood as a super star, she showed her status, power. We never see an intimate scene with a hero in any of the Telugu films she worked in. She proved a point but not all can do that. These days heroines are more than ready to do an item number and they still manage to get big banner films.
