It’s a three-horse race to the finish line. This year, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone and Kangana Ranaut are vying for the No 1 spot in Bollywood.
Talent is a must. But box-office collections and future projects are also important criteria. These three girls tick all the boxes. So question is, wholl claim the throne?
“Deepika Padukone,” affirms trade analyst Amod Mehra, who believes the actress biggest strength is her versatility. The problem with Kangana is that you see Kangana in every role she plays. Theres barely any difference between the parts she has chosen. On the other hand, Deepika can pull off a Piku as well as a Finding Fanny or Ram-Leela with equal ease. She has the edge! 
Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar thinks its not so much about who wins the race. Hes happy that the actresses today are carrying films on their own shoulders. When I was making Chandni Bar or Satta, I was discouraged from making films with female protagonists. Today, I am just glad to watch Mary Kom, Piku and Tanu Weds Manu Returns. Women are as good as their male counterparts, he says.
Even though he has worked with Priyanka and Kangana in one of his biggest hits Fashion, he has no biases. As far as Kangana, Deepika and Priyanka are concerned, Id place an equal bet on all three. We must not forget Anushka Sharma. She has done commendable work in NH 10, he points out.
Director Omung Kumar bids his money on his Mary Kom because he finds her extremely professional and hardworking. Priyankas my first heroine. And with assignments like Quantico, shes stepped into another league. She has an international appeal which Deepika and Kangana lack as of now. Deepika comes a close second and Kangana ranks third, he says.
Similarly, Queen director Vikas Bahl votes for his ‘Queen. Shes my favourite. Id love to work with Kangana again and again. She just makes a filmmakers job so easy!
Dinesh Vijan, who has produced several films including Love Aaj Kal, Cocktail and Finding Fanny, thinks Deepika is the winner. She will be my first option for most things I do. Shes a friend and also very lucky for me, he says.
If you see purely from box-office perspective, Deepika comes out on top. Of their last five releases, Deepika (Piku, Happy New Year, Finding Fanny and Ram-Leela) and Priyanka (Dil Dhadakne Do, Mary Kom, Gunday and Krrish 3) have enjoyed four hits compared to Kanganas two (Tanu Weds Manu Returns and Queen). Even between Deepika and Priyanka, the formers films have seen better collections.
But Kangana and Priyanka have carried films like Tanu Weds Manu Returns and Mary Kom respectively, on their shoulders. Deepika doesnt enjoy that distinction. After all, even her Piku had a heavyweight like Amitabh Bachchan for support.
You also cant forget age. Its sad but true that when it comes to actresses, age can be an impediment. Priyanka will soon turn 33 while Deepika and Kangana are yet to hit 30. I think the audience doesnt care for a heroines age as long as she can pull off a part convincingly, quips Anand Vishal of Fun Cinemas. He adds that the audience, however, does have brackets slotted for heroines. Kangana slips into a role like Queen easily while Deepika can become Veronica from Cocktail effortlessly. Priyanka is okay with both kinds of roles, he explains.
What about these actresses future projects?
Kangana sits pretty with some of the best assignments, including a film each with Vishal Bhardwaj, Hansal Mehta and Anurag Basu. Priyanka only has Quantico, Bajirao Mastani and GangaaJal 2 while Deepika has Tamasha, Bajirao Mastani, Accidental Apprentice and an untitled film with Hrithik Roshan.
Guess the remaining 6 months of the year will determine who takes the crown. Till then...
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