Heroines today are definitely worth their weight in gold, but only as long as the needle points to the left of sixty. A change in preferences among the audience, not to forget the influence of Hindi and English films, has left the ‘chubby’ heroines bereft of offers.
This speaks a lot for an industry that has always favoured the zaftig for the anorexic. Heroines who have bordered on the plump have been extremely popular in Kollywood, be it Kushboo in the nineties, Jyothika, or more recently, Namitha.
But with Shriya Saran’s hourglass figure in 'Sivaji', or more recently, Nayanthara’s wafer-thin waistline in 'Billa', a change was initiated. One that would soon lead to a craze to feature in bikinis or demand salaries pointing towards Rs 1 crore.
Today, joining the bandwagon to lose weight and gain a market for them, is a long list of actresses, from Namitha to Sneha. Actresses like Mumtaj or Suja, known for their one-song performances in films, have also taken the slim route to success. They all seem to have realised that getting a good role without that enviable figure is, well, a fat chance today.
Mumtaj
Mumtaj’s 'Malai Malai' from Chocolet is still among her most popular on screen appearances, and the actress was anything but slim then. This hardly came in the way of her roles, as Mumtaj continued sizzling the screens with many films in her kitty. The actress, remembered for her roles in films like 'Kushi' and 'Veerasami', is back after a break with 'Rajathi Raja'.
Today, she is quite unrecognizable, having knocked off over 15 kilos and the actress says it had more to do with a health problem than with lack of exercise.
Namitha
Playing a cop should have been only an excuse for Namitha to shed weight. The buxom actress will soon play a slim cop, for the Telugu film 'Desa Drohi'.
Even as Namitha has turned herself to a sex symbol, the actress, who was clearly overweight, is said to have faced a dearth for roles. Add to her bulk, the bane of being a near six footer, with only a few heroes to match with.
The actress is said to have lost over 13 kilos to play a stiff cop. "I need to look slim and fit for people to believe I am a cop," she says. She will next been seen in 'Indira Vizha', in which she sports a single piece, and 'Jaganmohini'.
Sneha
Sneha was our best bet for homely roles, be it in 'Parthiban Kanavu' or in 'Pirivom Sandhippom'. It hardly mattered if she had a waist she couldn’t boast about. However, with films like 'Pandi', the actress revealed her new ambition to make it big as a glamourous heroine. Sneha has been trying hard for an image makeover and has definitely shed a few kilos to look slim for playing her part as a cop in 'Bhavani IPS'. Here's hoping the gamble pays off!
Suja
Suja is most famous for her item numbers in Tamil cinema. Remembered as the girl who dances in 'Perinba Pechukaaran' in Kuselan, Suja has been as popular as Mumaith Khan or Rahasiya when it comes to item numbers.
Suja took many by surprise recently, when she attended the audio launch of 'Solla Solla Inikkum'. “I play an important character in the film and have dieted and exercised rigorously to play my part,” she says.
sharadha@epmltd.com