Fairy Godmother came calling (partII): My favorite brawny, brainy, beauties of Bollywood

Having decided on my most-coveted physical characteristics, its now time to decide what I’d like to be in terms of brains and brawn. So here’s the second part of my wish list.

The courage of Madhuri in Mrityudand and Smita in Mirch Masala.

For sheer guts, its a toss-up between Phoolva in Mrityudand and Sonbai in Mirch Masala. They were both willing to go up against patriarchal diktats and bullies to fight for their rights. I wish for their courage and their belief in the rightness of their cause.

The single-mindedness of Kiron Kher in Sardari Begum.

Sardari knows what she wants (to sing) and pursues her goals with single-minded zeal. I would be content with a fraction of her goal-oriented focus!

Aishwarya’s undimmed quest for life in Chokher Bali.

Binodini isnt content to stay in the pigeon-hole circumstances and social pressures have put her in, and is willing to brave social censure in her quest for more. Yes, she does more harm than good, and does not even find the happiness she is seeking, but she tries. I wish for her lust for life and her courage to go against conventions.

Hema’s spunk in Seeta Aur Geeta.

Her Geeta’s a woman who’d take no nonsense from anybody and isnt afraid to kick-ass! And while you’re about it, FGm, how 'bout throwing in her acrobat-cum-dance skills as well.

Shilpa Shetty’s fighting spirit in Phir Milenge.

Tamanna contracted AIDS, lost her love, and then, her job as well. But instead of giving in to depression, she came up fighting! I want that fighting spirit, that refusal to submit to injustice.

The ability to lie like Rekha in Jhoothi, or Kulraj Randhawa in Kareena Kareena.

You may laugh, but the ability to lie, and lie convincingly, isnt given to all of us. Sure “honesty is the best policy”, but I think its also indicative of laziness. And a lie in time saves well… a lot of trouble, too! Most of us would rather tell the truth than make the effort to come up with a convincing (and more interesting) lie. I want to be able to cook up convincing lies at the spur of the moment, like Kalpana in Jhoothi or even better, like Kareena in Kareena Kareena.

Saira Banu’s reformist zeal in Junglee.

Wish I could fast-forward the evolutionary clock to turn an “ape” into a “human-being-with-a-dil” as fast as she did for Shammi’s Chandra Shekhar in Junglee! And with such a great sense of humor, too!

Tanuja’s safe-breaking skills in Do Chor.

Aah FGm, you’ve never been locked out of your apartment on a cooold (brrr!!!) day in Canada’s Arctic winter, so you dont realise how useful a skill this is. I really wish I could open locked doors with the same ease as Bob/Sandhya does in Do Chor.

Madhubala’s ability to admit a fault in Kala Paani.

She wasnt afraid to admit it when she was in the wrong, and boy, could she apologise! Here’s cinematic proof. Wish I could admit my fault so readily, and apologise so spectacularly!

Rani’s colorful imagination in Chori Chori.

Wish I had as vivid and colorful an imagination as Khushi’s. There would be no need for me to watch movies or read books! With all the money I’d save, who knows, I might even become RICH.

So that completes my wish lists for the moment. What characteristics do you wish for? Go ahead and draw up your own lists. Its always good to be prepared, in case Fairy Godmother comes calling!