Bollywood actresses who immortalised ‘Indian-ness’ on the silverscreen

Indian women are admired across the globe for their beauty and femininity. India is a land of diverse cultures and people have distinct clothing, language and food preferences. Yet there is something that is common and that is ‘Indian-ness’.

Here’s celebrating the myriad colours of India by taking a look at some of the actresses from the Hindi film industry who eternalised traits specific to different regions in the country.

Kashmir:

Nargis Fakhri, Shraddha Kapoor and Preity Zinta are some of the actresses who played Kashmiri women on screen in the recent times. Veteran actress Sharmila Tagore too had essayed the role of a Kashmiri belle in and as Kashmir Ki Kali.

Tamil Nadu:

Alia Bhatt and Deepika Padukone played Tamil girls in 2 States and Chennai Express respectively. They looked gorgeous on screen in their half-sarees, a garment usually worn by unmarried women or young girls.

Bengal:

Vidya Balan made her Bollywood debut as a Bengali girl in Parineeta. She nailed the typical Bengali appearance and looked simply stunning. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who played a Bengali woman –Paro- in Devdas too looked drop-dead gorgeous in the traditional attire.

Punjab:

Most Hindi films have a lot of Punjabipan. A number of actresses have essayed the role of Punjabi women. Preity Zinta and Kareena Kapoor Khan are a few of them.

Rajasthan:

A number of actresses essayed pristine beauties from the land of the Royals in India. Rani Mukerji in Paheli and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Jodha Akbar looked gorgeous as Rajasthani women. Deepika Padukone too is all set to leave an indelible mark on our hearts by essaying the role of a Rajput Queen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati.

Gujarat:

Deepika Padukone and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan played Gujarati women in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Goliyon ki raasleela Ram Leela and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam respectively. And both looked stunning as Gujaratis.

Maharashtra:

Priyanka Chopra essayed the role of Kashi, the wife of Maratha Peshwa Bajirao I in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus Bajirao Mastani. She looked absolutely beautiful as a Royal from the land of Marathas in the film.