Kareena Kapoor’s size zero raised a storm in the teacup, for sure. Make no mistake, the curvaceous Nayanthara or Namitha invite as much attention, if not more. But that is about it. In Oriya filmdom, size did not really matter. It was, at best one can say, of academic interest. Until now.
Filmmaker Sudhanshu Sahoo more or less puts across a common view. “We never gauged an actress based on her slimness. For that matter, Oriya film industry never had the Tollywood fascination for healthy female leads.”
The audience here was never fixated on the “figure” aspect of the screen goddesses. It probably had something to do with the Oriya psyche which loves subtlety. The average Oriya loved the girl-next-door — sometimes vulnerable and delicate, and sometimes strong but it did not always mean physically.
So, actresses reigned because of the strong connection they forged with viewers thanks to their command over the art and a compelling screen presence. That they were
always in shape never caught anyone’s imagination. “Even the icons of the last generation like Aparajita used to be very slim in their prime,” says director Sanjay Nayak. So were Baishali, Dolly Jena and well before that Banaja Mohanty and Niharika.
But it was never because of a conscious effort. Says Anu Choudhary, a top actress who has tasted success both in mainstream and commercial formats: “It was the lack of professionalism in our industry which was the reason Oriya actresses were never serious about a shapely body or what we commonly refer to as
being figure-conscious. Moreover, it was the acting ability which was considered key to success and that’s the only thing that seems to have always worked here.”
But the times are changing. Bebo’s size zero may actually be rubbing off on the new generation of actresses in Orissa. They all want to be part of the hot and happening brigade with audience tastes also undergoing something of a change. Says Nayak: “With girls from Mumbai and Kolkata posing stiff competition, the Oriya actresses are now becoming increasingly conscious about how they look. Slimness has slowly but surely come into the industry.”
In Anu’s words, it indicates much better professionalism.
The changing fashion and media focus has lately required actresses to carry off all kinds of outfits and be part of a variety of demanding roles — from films to television and reality shows and they feel a slim body is the “in” thing. It’s showing with the younger lot of actresses going in for strict work-outs and dieting measures to stay in shape.
Says young actress Archita: “It’s not about imitating trends of other industries but as an actor, one has to be conscious about looks and slimness is part of that. Besides, it’s more about how one carries oneself and at the same time a toned body says lot about your overall personality.”
— panda.namita@gmail.com