Becoming legends

Waheeda Rehman said recently that Madhuri Dixit is the only actress who can do justice to her role in Dev Anand���s all-time classic, Guide, if it were to be remade.
The veteran actress was quoted as saying, ���The role requires an actress who should be a good dancer. Madhuri is both a good actress and a dancer.��� So, what does it take to be a screen legend?
���In the ���80s, people appreciated the actresses of the ���60s and today, we say Madhuri and Sridevi were good.Ten years from now, audiences will talk about Aishwarya and Kareena in the same way. I think today���s actresses can play unforgettable roles,��� says director Pankaj Parashar. He adds that there are many factors that go into these evergreen roles. ���Script, co-star, dialogue, set-up ��� it���s all intertwined. We can cast one of today���s actresses as Madhubala in Mughal-e-Azam, but we won���t be able to recreate the film because there���s no one like Dilip Kumar today,��� he says.
Many agree that our actresses are capable of coming up with unforgettable performances, provided we have the scripts. Talking about movies like Jodhaa Akbar, Lagaan and Guru, director Somnath Sen says the actresses in them had a strong presence. ���Even if the woman is not the protagonist, the script has to provide her with more scope than just being the hero���s love interest. People believe a good actress can showcase her talent only in a woman-centric film, but that���s not true,��� he says. He adds though that stories about women like Dor, Silsilay and Laaga Chunari Mein Daag should be encouraged. ���I know what problems Nagesh Kukunoor faced to sell Dor. Distributors tend to believe there���s no market for movies with women in the lead. But if we don���t make such movies, where will the actress have the scope to script classic performances?��� he asks.
The audience feels nostalgic for films of the past when they watch black and white films. They remember the actresses of yore as exuding grace. Today, it���s all about the glamour. Says actress Kirron Kher, ���Times have changed.
Today���s actresses will not be accepted in woven ghagras a la Vyjayantimala. From styling to make-up, everything is so loud; simplicity doesn���t work anymore. All this overshadows the skills and the actress loses her position as a performer.��� So, says Kirron, if we want to see our actresses do some acting, then the audience has to accept a more sober version of them. ���Movies like Dil Chahta Hai, Lagaan and Guru presented Preity, Ash and Gracy with elegance and they found acceptance among the audience. Everyone thought Kareena couldn���t do intense roles, but she has proved herself in Asoka, Dev, Yuva and Aitraaz. So, it���s the film-makers who have to present them as actresses rather than just objects of glamour,��� she adds.