Mainstream Bollywood is still taking baby steps in writing relatable female friendships, especially for big budget films. We did get Veere Di Wedding last year, and it was exactly how we had all expected it to be – a one-time watch with some funny bits and some very cringeworthy ones. But the fact that it did so well at the box office means that filmmakers will be encouraged to delve into the world of female buddy films with a little more enthusiasm now. At least, one can hope for it.
Since remake fever refuses to leave Bollywood, we wanted to take one, just one, advantage of it till it lasts. We would want Bollywood to take some inspiration – and by that we don’t mean copy illegally or blatantly – from the West, for once. and diversify their offering of female buddy films. Basically, we want to see women who are concerned with other things than the men in their lives. We’re also willing to offer up our dream cast for the roles. If Bollywood wants to go ahead and cast fresh new talent, then also we are in, just saying!
Ocean’s 8
The film might have disappointed most critics, but seeing 8 boss women headline the fourth instalment of a heist trilogy we grew up watching multiple times was a delight, to put it simply. Yes, we wished the script was better and the end result absolutely fabulous, but we were just happy that this film even got made. Female representation of badass women FTW! Not to mention the other fact that made us happy was that Ocean’s 8 had the biggest weekend gross ever for the Ocean’s franchise. And here’s who we would like to be cast in the film:
No one can truly replace Sandra Bullock (Debbie Ocean, the mastermind of the heist), but we would like Priyanka Chopra to give it a try. Her comic timing is more on-point than her peers by far, so… We would love a suited-booted Rekha to step into Cate Blanchett’s role, Debbie’s partner-in-crime.
Alia Bhatt could take Anne Hathaway’s role, a famous actress/socialite who’s never had any real female friends. Mindy Kaling (Amita, a jewelry maker) could play herself, but Bhumi Pednekar would also do a fantastic job as the girl fed up with her overbearing relatives. Vidya Balan could play Sarah Paulson’s Tammy, a suburban mom come hustler extraordinaire.
For the rest, we would like to see Radhika Apte as the loudmouthed street hustler and pickpocket Awkwafina’s Constance, Kubbra Sait the stoner hacker Nine Ball that Rihanna portrays, and Tannishtha Chatterjee can play Helena Bonham Carter’s Rose Weil, a nervous fashion designer stepping into the world of crime for the first time.
The Heat
While no one can replace comedy queens Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, we can try and cook up a pair that will have the kind of chemistry these two have. Deepika Padukone can play the prim and proper Special Agent Sarah Ashburn (Bullock) and maybe Alia can try her hand at pure comedy (not gonna count Shaandaar, ever) by playing the rough-around-the-edges Detective Shannon Mullins (McCarthy). The Heat was Hollywood’s first buddy cop film so Bollywood trying their hand at it would be a refreshing step away from the Simmbas and Singhams of the world.
The Hustle
This one hasn’t released yet, but looks promising. We would like to see Katrina Kaif – hey, she was good in Jagga Jasoos and Zero! – and Priyanka Chopra step into the shoes of Rebel Wilson and Anne Hathaway, two con artists who bump into each other on a train one fateful day and join teams!
