List of Hindi film actresses
Given below is a list of all the notable actresses, who have starred in Hindi cinema, the Hindi language film industry based primarily in Mumbai. Hindi film actresses have evolved significantly over the years, playing a pivotal role in shaping the cinematic landscape of what is now known as Bollywood. Many of them have had careers that span multiple decades, with some being closely associated with specific periods during which their influence and popularity peaked.[1]
Over the decades, numerous actresses have contributed to Hindi cinema through their diverse and powerful performances. Pioneers like Sulochana, Durga Khote and Devika Rani brought acting into the limelight in the 1920s and 1930s, followed by icons like Nargis, Meena Kumari, Madhubala and Nutan becoming the symbols of grace and emotional depth in the 1940s and 1950s. The following two decades saw strong performances from actresses like Vyjayanthimala, Waheeda Rehman, Sharmila Tagore, Hema Malini, Jaya Bhaduri and Rekha, along with actresses like Parveen Babi and Zeenat Aman, who modernized the template for a Hindi film heroine. The 1980s and 1990s were marked by the rise of contemporary actresses like Dimple Kapadia, Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit, Juhi Chawla and Kajol dominating the industry with their versatility, charm and dancing skills, while actresses like Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Nandita Das and Tabu simultaneously led the wave of "parallel cinema" in Hindi films, bringing a new dimension to the industry. With the arrival of the 21st century, a new wave of actresses emerged, including pageant winners like Aishwarya Rai and Priyanka Chopra, who expanded Bollywood's global reach by venturing into international projects, while others like Rani Mukerji, Kareena Kapoor, Vidya Balan, Kangana Ranaut, Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt and Kriti Sanon gained popularity and pushed boundaries of career longevity for actresses.[2]
The following are some of the most renowned actresses and the decades when they were most recognized.[3][4][5][6]
1920s
[edit]Year | Name | Debut film |
---|---|---|
1920 | Patience Cooper | Damayanti |
1922 | Fatma Begum | Veer Abhimanyu |
Sudhabala | Bhishma Pitamah | |
Sultana | Veer Abhimanyu | |
1923 | Zubeida | Kohinoor |
1925 | Seeta Devi | Prem Sanyas |
Ruby Myers | Cinema Ki Rani | |
1926 | Gohar Mamajiwala | Baap Kamai |
1930s
[edit]Year | Name | Debut film |
---|---|---|
1930 | Sabita Devi | Kamaner Aagun |
Mehtab | Kamaal-e-Shamsheer | |
1931 | Esther Victoria Abraham | Toofani Tiruni |
Kajjanbai | Shirin Farhad | |
Khursheed Bano | Eye for an eye | |
Rattan Bai | ||
1932 | Firoza Begum | Bewafa Qatil |
Lalita Pawar | Kailash | |
Durga Khote | Maya Machhindra | |
1933 | Sardar Akhtar | Id Ka Chand |
Bibbo | Rangila Rajput | |
Devika Rani | Karma | |
Umasashi | Puran Bhagat (film) | |
1935 | Fearless Nadia | Hunterwali |
Shobhna Samarth | Nigahe Nafrat | |
Jaddanbai | Talashe Haq | |
Leela Chitnis | Shri Satyanarayan | |
Naseem Banu | Khoon Ka Khoon | |
1936 | Jamuna Barua | Das |
Shanta Apte | Amar Jyoti | |
1937 | Kanan Devi | Vidyapati |
Mohini | Devdas | |
1938 | Sitara Devi | Watan |
1939 | Begum Khurshid Mirza | Bhakti |
1940s
[edit]1950s
[edit]1960s
[edit]1970s
[edit]1980s
[edit]1990s
[edit]2000s
[edit]2010s
[edit]2020s
[edit]See also
[edit]- Hindi cinema
- List of Indian film actresses
- List of Kannada film actresses
- List of Tamil film actresses
- List of Telugu film actresses
References
[edit]- ^ "Top heroines of Bollywood". India Today. Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- ^ Verma, Sukanya (5 January 2011). "How The Decade Has Treated These Actresses". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 20 June 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- ^ "50 Most Beautiful Indian Faces". iDiva. 9 March 2012. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ^ "Top Actresses Of All Time". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
- ^ "Powerlist: Top Bollywood Actresses". Rediff.com. 29 November 2009. Archived from the original on 9 March 2007. Retrieved 13 March 2007.
- ^ Sen, Raja (6 March 2007). "Bollywood's best actresses. Ever". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 9 March 2007. Retrieved 13 March 2007.