Geet To Manju Devi: We Absolutely Love These Women In Comic Roles

Because of their small number, they became some of Indian cinema's most known faces.  Juhi Chawla, though not a comedian per se, and her endearing, and often hilarious roles, as well as women like Archana Puran Singh (Shrimaan Shrimati) and the more or less all-woman cast of Hum Paanch, ushered in a new era of comedy, where wit and clever writing replaced the number of fat-jokes made per episode.

From Aparshakti Khurana and Varun Sharma to Brijendra Kala, there are at least a half-dozen ‘male’ performers who are regulars in humorous roles today. Only Seema Pahwa (Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, Bareilly Ki Barfi, Bala) is routinely cast for her comedic abilities among ‘female’ performers. Of course, there have been some wonderful comedic turns, but they have been sparse in recent years, pointing to a lack of comedy roles for women and perhaps a fear among younger performers of being labelled as the funny ones.

Hema Malini and Sridevi, are among the Hindi film women who have brought us enormous joy. Malini's fast-talking Basanti and Sridevi's mining of her ingenue and simpleton real-life personality for screen gold have relied on the wonderful timings of these remarkable women and have given Bollywood its best hilarious moment.

Character actors who aren't usually regarded as comedians often deliver the strongest performances: Ratna Pathak Shah, brilliantly stern in Khoobsurat; Sheeba Chaddha, in Badhai Do. We've compiled a list of seven diverse humorous performances by women performers from recent years.

Women Comedy Roles

Geet in Jab We Met

When Jab We Met was released in 2007, every "girl" believed she had a Geet Dhillon inside her. She was the "firecracker," played by Kareena Kapoor Khan, who lived in her dreamland and moved to her own beat. She may have the fiery demeanour of 'Bhatinda ki Sikhni,' but there was also a vulnerable side to her. Geet walked inside the movie and declared that she had never missed a train.

We only get a glimpse of her true journey when she misses one for the first time. She was irresponsible, but she cared about strangers. So she jumped in to aid Aditya when he most needed it. "Main apni favourite hoon," Geet's conversation, showed us that self-love isn't always a terrible thing. She also had a technique of getting out of a breakup by bashing your ex or flushing their photo down the toilet. Even if no one seemed to be listening, she loved to voice her mind.

Meeta in Hasee Toh Phasee

The wonderful part about Parineeti Chopra is that she is just as energetic off-screen as she is on-screen. The actress hardly breathes as she speaks, thinks as quickly as she speaks, and laughs without regard for the diva image that most new-generation actors strive for.

Her stint in Vinil Mathew directorial Hasee Toh Phasee, in which she starred alongside Siddharth Malhotra, was a flop, but her performance as Dr Meeta Solanki, a geeky scientist with strange mannerisms, was well received. Eating tubes of toothpaste, stapling clothes together. Creative genius! Her antics definitely had us laughing!

Suggested Reading: Not Abla Naari. Films On Women Empowerment That You Cannot Afford To Miss

Tanuja in Tanu Weds Manu Returns

Kangana Ranaut returned to the silver screen with the sequel Tanu Weds Manu Returns, but this time with a double dose of herself after stealing the hearts of the public with 'Tanu Weds Manu.' In addition to her earlier role as Tanuja Trivedi as Tanu, Kangana also played Kumari Sangwan nicknamed Kusum, a Haryanvi athlete. Her Kusum role needed her to become de-glam, which was the polar opposite of Tanu's, but she nailed it with ease.

Manju in Chalbaaz

Sridevi's dual roles in Pankuj Parashar's 1989 film ChaalBaaz—calm and "demure" Anju and forceful and determined Manju—created magic. Anju and Manju, are twin sisters who are separated at birth. Manju, played by Sridevi, gives her spiteful aunt Amba (Rohini Hattangadi), a makeover.

To watch the whole affair unfold was a sight to behold and it definitely elicited more than a few laughs. Sridevi's expressions only add to the hilarity! We definitely loved watching her as Manju in Chalbaaz!

Neena Gupta As Majnu Devi in Panchayat

">Manju Devi, played by Neena Gupta, is one of the many reasons to fall in love with the show. She not only manages the household, but she also ensures that she is heard in village concerns pertaining to the panchayat. She knows how to convey her strong ideas and opinions as a woman with strong opinions.