The Power Women of Bollywood

Kareena Kapoor Khan is counted among the top actresses in Bollywood and still holds her position among the newcomers. The diva, who features opposite Salman Khan in the upcoming film Bajrangi Bhaijaan, has quite a few big films lined up. The actress is set to play a successful working wife in R Balki’s next film which will feature Arjun Kapoor as her ‘staying at home’ husband. Not only this, the Tashan actress plays a doctor in Udta Punjab, as reported by Filmfare; and a schizophrenic streetwalker in Raj Kumar Gupta's next flick.

Apart from Kareena, there are a some more B-Town ladies who are making their powerful presence felt in the industry. Read on to know more…

As the world celebrates International Women's Day with fervour, we present the most powerful women of Bollywood. We have selected them on the basis of their accomplishments, individuality and experimentation. They are women who changed the rules, broke all barriers and brought in a revolution. They are successful in whatever they do. Let us salute the most powerful women of the film industry.

Ekta Kapoor: The TV czarina is easily one of the most powerful women of the entertainment industry. She bought in a revolution in television with her onslaught of saas-bahu serials like Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, Kasautii Zindagii Kay, etc. She connected with the masses and became a household name in no time. After dominating the world of TV for more than a decade, the Managing Director of Balaji Telefilms ventured into Bollywood with some very successful but small-budget movies like Shootout at Lokhandwala, Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai and The Dirty Picture. She has managed to make every venture of hers a profit and is known for her discipline, business sense and professionalism. She knows how to entertain her audiences and is on good terms with almost everyone in the industry. She must be credited for making some very successful TV stars, and has proved that star children need not follow in their parents footsteps to be successful. You can love her or hate her you cannot ignore her.

Vidya Balan: She neither has a size zero figure nor conventional good looks yet she is one of the most successful actresses of today. Be it a fight for justice in No One Killed Jessica, carrying a baby-bump in Kahaani or exposing her curves in The Dirty Picture, Vidya carries a role with conviction and confidence. She has broken set notions about actresses in the industry. She is confident, outspoken, unconventional and has the guts to be experimental. She is the actor among actresses of today and has changed the dynamics of the film industry by her constant evolution. She has proved that actresses are not just showpieces.

Priyanka Chopra: From winning the Miss World title to being the top actress of Bollywood, Priyanka never fails to wonder. If that was not enough, the leggy lass is now a popular singer too. She is one of the leading actresses of the industry and has given some memorable performances in movies like 7 Khoon Maaf , Fashion and Barfi! She is cool, suave and extremely successful. Having worked with top directors and actors, she is considered as one of the most bankable female stars of the industry. She even won a National Award for Fashion. Even though she’s completed a decade in the industry, she remains hot property due to her versatility, dedication and hard work.

Deepika Padukone: After delivering four back-to-back hits, this gorgeous Bollywood actress is the reigning queen of Bollywood. She has a Midas touch and manages to make every movie she acts in a blockbuster hit. She is the only Indian actress whose flicks have collected a total of over Rs.500 crore at the box office in a single year. The beauty queen has proved her critics wrongs, who said she can't act, by giving excellent performances in Cocktail and Ram-Leela. Despite being from a non-filmy background, she has managed to shine and rule the industry. In fact she is considered as the new Khan of the film industry as she has the power to carry a film on her shoulders. Her freshness and innocence is a huge hit with the audience.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: Be it looks, persona or a powerful surname, the former Miss World has it all. The gorgeous actress is the ultimate diva and has won millions of hearts from the very ripe age of 21. Not only has she represented India on global platforms, she has won several awards and titles of international repute. She is considered as "one of the most beautiful women of the world" by the international media and has tulips named after her in The Netherlands. She endorses some of the most reputed international brands and has the one of the highest brand value in the international market. In 2001, Forbes named Aishwarya among the top five Indian movie stars. She was awarded with the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2009, and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Government of France in 2012.

Zoya Akhtar: The sister of director-actor-writer, producer Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar shares the same creative genes as her brother. Be it her individualistic theme or her picture-perfect direction, Zoya is an excellent filmmaker. She showed her competence with movies like Luck By Chance, Bombay Talkies and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. She is young, independent and has tremendous clarity in her voice and depth in her creations. Despite having depth, she packages her movies in such a way that they appeal to the masses as well as the classes. She has also won a Filmfare Award for Best Director for her movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. We think she has a great future and we are ready to place our bets on this very talented filmmaker to be the game changer of the industry.