Enkayaar, Bollywood Trade News Network

One of the characteristic streaks of the Hindi film industry has been that in all the eras and the decades it has been dominated by the women from Bengal. As is famous the Bengal ka Jadu, in the same manner these women through their screen presence and persona have been able to cast a spell on the film viewing public. They have been famous for going against the leak and carving a niche for themselves. On the eve of beginning of the new season of Durga Pooja, the eagerly anticipated and most celebrated festival by the Bengalis it is an opportune moment to have a redux on the women from Bengal.

SUCHITRA SEN: She was really the first Bengali lady in the Hindi film and though she acted in a very limited number of films, she had the audience and the industry eating out of her hands. It is difficult to forget her role in BAMBAI KA BABU where she played typical Punjabi lass and the song" Dekhne Mein Bhola hai and Chal ri sajni ab kya soche" had announced her arrival in a big way. But she returned to Bengali film industry, and it was Gulzar who bought her back once again through AANDHI and there was nothing in the film to say that she had lost her charm.

SHARMILA TAGORE: The lady who made her debut under the tutelage of Satyajit Ray, had a rollicking run in the Hindi film industry, and sixties as a matter of fact was her era, when she created history by appearing in a bikini in AN EVENING IN PARIS. Her daughter Soha Ali acknowledged the same when she appeared in a bikini for the cover of a magazine by saying that it was her mother who provided inspiration to her.

JAYA BACHCHAN: Pick up any film that she enacted in, right from her GUDDI days, she has brought the innocent charm to her exposition and the same finds expression with eloquence in DRONA as well. Along with Sanjeev Kumar she created a new era of acting in Hindi films, and her enactment in KOSHISH is one of the famous signposts in Hindi cinema.

RAKHEE GULZAR: One often wonders the legendary expositions that Gulzar has given to his fans has been as a sort of tribute to his wife, Rakhee Gulzar who had her own style of acting, and never changed it in any circumstances. It was evident when she was playing the role of a lover to Amitabh Bachchan and when she played the role of her mother as well, as it happened in ADALAT.

MAUSHMI CHATTERJEE: The original BALLIKA BADHU and the lady with her toothy smile still oozes warmth through her smile even in the few television serials that she appeared in after a long hiatus.

RANI MUKHERJI: From an inconsequential role in RAJA KI AAEEGI BARAAT to being the numero uno and now among the top female actors, Rani set new standards for the industry with her readiness to act in as diverse films as possible.

KAJOL: Though she has gone into exile, from the time she made her debut to the time when she came back again to act in FANAA followed by U ME AUR HUM, she is one of the rare few female stars who commands an opening on her own at the box office.

BIPASHA BASU: Among the new generation of actresses, if there is one actress who has a sensuousness and sexuality as a combination, Bipasha is one of the rare actresses. From the time that she made her debut and till her last release in BACHNA AE HASEENO she knows how to fire the screen with her presence.

KONKONA SEN SHARMA: Konkona Sen Sharma has carved a different niche for herself by becoming a thinking actor from the time she shot into prominence through PAGE-3 before making her presence felt in MR. and MRS. AIYER, and each subsequent film has underlined the same with an emphasis.