On a balmy Sunday afternoon, 23-year-old Jeet Dasgupta tears down a life-size poster of tennis pro Sania Mirza from his bedroom wall.He scoffs, “Sania post her engagement isn’t a hot male fantasy. Soon, she’ll be talking kids.” In the pleasure playground of idol worship, betrothed female celebs enjoy second class citizenship. An online poll on timesofIndia.com recently revealed that 58 per cent of readers felt that marriage would mark a fall in B-town queen Kareena Kapoor’s star rating. A reader from Qatar declared, “Saying ‘yes’ will kill her image.”
Is it the fear of losing popularity that pressurises female icons to shy away from matrimony? Bebo, who’s been spotted with a colossal solitaire of late, dispels engagement rumours, “Am I crazy to get married now when so many wonderful things are happening to my career? It can wait for two years.”
In the fragile world of glamour, why are rules different for the sexes? Adman Prahlad Kakkar says, “Once hitched, the brand value of a female star falls. She’s no longer available as the subject of vicarious popular imagination. In India, marriage is associated with morality, so fans can’t handle a married woman gyrating in a bikini.”
An industry source says, “Rani Mukherji was the No 1 heroine after Hum Tum and Black. But, she turned herself into an exclusive Yashraj property, by secretly marrying producer Aditya Chopra. Today her career’s scripted by him.”
The original ‘It’ girl of the ‘90s, Pooja Bedi recalls how her ex-husband wanted her to quit films post marriage. “Being in the industry involves gruelling outdoor schedules, scandalous gossip, alleged link-ups and controversies. Non-star partners are intimidated,” says Bedi.
Former model Walusha Robinson recalls, “Offers stopped as soon as I had my first child. Though I was only 20, suddenly, I was being doled out commercials that saw me playing either a mother or a wife.”
Besides viewer voyeurism, director Madhur Bhandarkar points out, “The lifespan of an actress is short-lived. In a male-dominated industry, it takes at least three to four years to break through. Once an actress tastes success, it’s hard to resist the glamour bug, which is why most heroines talk marriage after they’ve crossed their prime or delay marriage if they’re young and seeing someone. Ironically, married heroes like Aamir or SRK are considered cool, but once a Priyanka Chopra marries, she may be offered the role of a bhabhi.” He adds, “Most distributors, including corporate houses feel casting married actresses is risky as they’re uncomfortable kissing onscreen, wearing a bikini or engaging in a love-making scene.”
B-town’s biggest female brand icon — Aishwarya turned down the lead in the gay spoof Dostana saying the role was “too sexy for her married image.”
Kakkar says, “Youth sells! A married woman often carries with her the baggage of age.” No wonder then that 20-something newcomers like Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor and Genelia D’Souza are nudging out 30-plus heroines from films and brand endorsements. Priyanka was heard saying, “No one in this industry is indispensable. Someone takes over from somebody.”
Actress Perizad Zorabian admits, “Married heroines tend to choose less risqué roles as there’s a chance of offending their extended family. And, once you have children you have to compromise.” Perhaps this explains the self-imposed hiatus that stars like Jaya Bachchan, Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit, Kajol and Karishma Kapoor took, before being lured by the arc lights again. But ‘comebacks’ too are risky. Madhur says, “Audiences can’t accept the physical changes in their female icons.”
Karisma Kapoor however dismisses the notion about actresses not getting good roles after marriage as a mere myth. “Does anybody in Hollywood ask Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep, who make one film in five years, whether they’re coming back? Sharmila Tagore delivered some of her biggest hits after her children were born,” she retorts.
Actress Ayesha Takia, who recently tied the knot asks, “If our married actors can be treated professionally, why can’t actresses be treated as professionally?”