With the stand-alone Deepika Padukone film Lady Singham, Rohit Shetty’s cop universe is about to undergo a tremendous and daring change. Known for his high-octane, energy-fueled action movies with a male lead, like Ajay Devgn in Singham, Ranveer Singh in Simmba, and Akshay Kumar in Sooryavanshi, will the film audience embrace a female lead and accept Lady Singham in the same way, or will this be a mere misstep?
Bollywood has a mixed past record when it comes to female-led cop movies. On one hand, movies like Rani Mukerji’s “Mardaani,” which had a gritty plot and a strong performance, won praise from critics and audiences alike.
In a similar vein, Tabu’s performance in “Drishyam” deepened the representation of women in the police. These movies proved that a strong female lead could hold the attention of viewers and provide an engaging story. But not every effort has been successful, and the difficulty is in developing a figure that is inspirational and accessible without resorting to familiar tropes.
Deepika Padukone will surely be a great choice since she is a brilliant actress with huge popularity but then, the real test is going to come in how well her character is written and portrayed.
Lady Singham’s success depends upon how Shetty has enough of the action sequences in balance with a meaningful storyline that gives a strong fill to Padukone’s character. And, of course, the fear is that it could use clichés, which would marginally deride the impact a female-led narrative in a genre mainly dominated by males might have had.
Moreover, it is uncertain how the audience will react to such a change. Although strong female protagonists are becoming more and more popular, particularly in the action genre, it is unclear if Shetty’s fan base, which is used to stories with a male lead, will embrace this shift. Will audiences swarm theatres to see Lady Singham, or will they long for the well-known characters and connections from Shetty’s earlier films.
Although the introduction of Lady Singham by Rohit Shetty is praiseworthy and an essential development in his cinematic world, it carries a number of risks. Deepika Padukone’s nuanced performance and a well-written script will be crucial to the movie’s success.
If done well, Lady Singham might set a new standard and open the door for future Bollywood action movies starring women. However, it can turn out to be a lost chance in the history of Indian cinema if it succumbs to preconceptions and doesn’t provide a gripping story.