The Indian Independence not only signalled the beginning of an era for a democratic country but Bollywood too saw a sea of change. Accomplished actresses like Nargis, Waheeda Rehman, Madhubala and Meena Kumari found their place of pride in women-centric films.

Years passed by and the trend lost steam, except for a few appearances by the likes of Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi due to parallel cinema, who kept the flag flying high and proud. Come the new decade and more and more leading ladies of Bollywood seem to be on the top of their game never flinching from taking cool and composed decisions that serve them the best.