When it comes to casting lead actresses, Bollywood heroes have the final word

In an earlier blog, I spoke about how most Bollywood heroines, barring a few, are regarded as just eye candy.

Heroines usually go through a tough time in Bollywood to bag film projects. For a top Bollywood heroine, getting roped in for a big budget film project, requires a hell lot of wheeling and dealing. It includes sucking up to the hero of the film as well.

This story was narrated by a leading actress about a year ago. I wouldn’t say that she is at the top of the A-list but she’s definitely a go-to actress for ‘left-over’ films.  She told me this story after I had finished taking her interview and switched the dictaphone off.

So, here is the story of how the actress clinched a big-budget Bollywood film. Unfortunately, the film is yet to get a release as the production house is going through a cash-flow crisis.

How I got my Bollywood big budget break

 A well-known Bollywood heroine narrates how she got her big-budget Bollywood project

“It was Saturday afternoon and I received a BBM ping from a friend.  She said that an ‘experienced director’ has  spoken about a big film project he is planning with a foreign studio.

This friend, who had once worked with me as an assistant, constantly keeps pinging me about upcoming projects where (she thinks) I have a fat chance.  In return, she expects that I rope her in as my assistant or make her an assistant to the director.

I opened the link on my phone and it turned out to be an interview to a website. In the interview, the director admits that he hasn’t been able to hire a heroine for his ‘big’ project yet and the project is getting delayed. The reporter then enquired about a specific heroine and the director revealed that heroine was not a part of the project ‘anymore’.

My friend had set a Google Alert for the heroine as a lot of projects rejected by that heroine, ultimately landed on my lap.

It was time for me to get into action.

I immediately texted the hero (of the film) saying that I wanted to talk to him. The message didn’t get delivered (which is very normal in Bollywood).

A day later (when the message finally got delivered), the hero replied, “Is it about (film’s name) baby?”

I sent a smiley in return.

We planned to meet up three days later in Hyderabad (where the hero was shooting). I was wary about the press and told him that I needed a very good reason to duck my shoot (in Mumbai) and fly off to Hyderabad. To this, the hero assured that he will take care of everything.

A day later, I got a mail from a reputed jewellery company in Hyderabad inviting me to open a store there. For this, they offered to pay a crore which was a decent amount. I cancelled my shooting for four days saying I was unwell. It was not difficult because I was shooting only with supporting actors and I just needed three days off.

A representative picture of a Bollywood hero with his leading lady

A hero’s welcome

The event was in the afternoon and my hero told me that he will meet me in the evening. He also added in jest that I should be well prepared to welcome him and put an animated winking smiley at the end of the message.

The event was exhausting and I was in no mood to get up and get ready to go out with him for dinner. I texted him but as usual there was no response. I informed the hotel’s reception that I am feeling sick and that nobody should be allowed disturb me and went off to sleep.

At around 11 pm, I heard a knock on the door and in walked the hero with bunch of flowers in his hand!

I was on my bed and the television was switched on.

He gave me the a tight hug and kissed me on the cheek. He said he wanted to watch TV with me. He took his blazer off, put it on the hat hook and sat beside me and took charge of the remote. For the next half hour, we watched the TV soap ( a foreign crime thriller).

I constantly reminded myself that I am meeting him to get a film project and under no circumstances, should I drift off to any other ‘thing’ (the actress used the middle finger gesture here).

(To this, I asked why she was being apprehensive as he was known to be not too fond of women. She replied, “Everything is not about sex. Sometimes sex is just power-play and his body language was yelling that he was not in the mood to have sex with me.”)

We kept laughing loudly as he cracked outrageous jokes. He had me in splits as he had a good sense of humour. During the conversation he kept petting me, patting me, pulling my hair and even lied down with his face down on my lap. I was in my shorts.

At that point, I mildly broached the topic and asked him if he wants to work with me.

His body language was stiff and he looked straight into my eye.

Sense of humour, Bollywood ishtyle

 It’s not always about sex or the casting couch but it is always about a good ego massage

The hero then told me, ‘You need to kiss me in the film. Not once but thrice. And it better be good, okay?’

He was not smiling. He was serious. He had put his feet up on the bed and put both his hands at the back of his head, on the head-rest. He had a pillow on his lap.

I then did something outrageous.

I got up and sat on his lap (on the pillow), with one leg on each side. I put my arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips.

The hero did not kiss me back. All along I tried to suck his lips in and make it look like a great kiss. He just lay there, motionless, with his eyes closed.

The hero never responded to my sexual overture but his eyes said it all — His ego has been massaged well.

He giggled and playfully chided me for ‘outrageous behavior’. To which I replied that I have always been a dirty girl.

He simply said, “We will see that!”.

He kissed me on my cheeks and left.

…And mission accomplished! 

 These tees, sum up most of the Bollywood movies even now

Fifteen days later I came across an interview in a leading daily where Mr Hero declared that I am doing the film with him.

I texted him and informed that nobody from the film’s production team had got in touch.

He texted back saying, ” (The producer) will.”

I then read in a tabloid that the director, the hero and the producer are having massive fights as to who will be the heroine of the film. Everybody had their own candidate.

The day this article came out, the hero texted me said that he has told the producer that he won’t do the film unless I am made a part of it. He said that no A-list hero will do the  film because the everybody knew that the film was offered to him first. Basically without him, the film had no future.

One month later, I was signed up as the heroine of the film.

The producer’s candidate got a special item song which would be the primary promotional tool. The director’s candidate was chucked off the list with a promise that she will be accommodated in an upcoming project.

First picture taken from here Second picture taken from here Third picture taken from here Fourth picture taken from here Fifth picture taken from here Disclaimer: Some images of this post have been released through PR agencies for publicity while others have been procured from public forums and social networking sites. Please inform us if any of the images used here are copyrighted to you and we will pull those images down from this blog.