Top 10 Bollywood Mainstream Actresses Who Dared To Go Bald On-Screen
Posted On: 12 Jul 2022 | Last Updated : 04 Oct 2024 | Views : 3.6k
Throughout the years, actors have gone the extra mile to fit into the role, be it losing or gaining weight, undergoing makeup transformation, wearing uncomfortable outfits, or even bidding farewell to their hair. Some are praised for their efforts, while some might even risk their career with such actions. While it is easier for male actors to go bald on-screen, for actresses, their hair is an integral part of their beauty, and shaving their heads is daring and courageous. However, by adopting these de-glam bald looks, the actresses surely made their on-screen characters be remembered forever. With the changing trends, it is common to see Indian actresses ready to do anything to give their best on-screen. So here, we present to you the top 10 Bollywood actresses who went bald on-screen.
1. Lisa Ray - Water (2005)
Canadian-born actress and model, Lisa Ray has worked internationally. She started her career as a model in India in early 1990s, and appeared in advertisements of leading Indian brands. She also appeared in Javed Akhtar’s music video Afreen Afreen in 1996. She made her acting debut with the 1996 Tamil film Nethaji. In Bollywood, she made her screen debut with the 2001 film Kasoor. Later, she also acted in movies like Ishq Forever (2016), Veerappan (2016), Dobaara (2017), 99 Songs (2019), etc. In 2005, she appeared in Deepa Mehta’s Water, in which she played a young widow named Kalyani who lived in an ashram, and was forced into prostitution as a teenager to financially support the ashram. Unlike other widows, she was allowed to keep her long hair, but later due to circumstances, she had to go bald too.
2. Seema Biswas - Water (2005)
The Assamese beauty, Seema Biswas started her acting career in Bollywood with the 1988 film Amshini, but gained prominence with her role in Shekhar Kapur’s 1994 film Bandit Queen, in which she played the role of female dacoit Phoolan Devi. Some important movies of her career include Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa (1998), Company (2002), Bhoot (2003), Vivah (2006), Risk (2007), Freaky Ali (2016), Atrangi Re (2021), Bachchhan Paandey (2022) and many more. The 2005 social drama Water, directed by Deepa Mehta, is one of the first Indian films that showcases the bald looks of Bollywood mainstream actresses like Lisa Ray and Seema Biswas. The role was first given to Shabana Azmi, but after she walked out of the project Seema Biswas took her place. She played the role of a widow in pre-independence India, where widows were forced to shave their heads and wear white sarees, and were avoided to have any luxury.
3. Antara Mali - And Once Again (2010)
Daughter of film and fashion photographer Jagdish Mali, Antara Mali is an Indian actress, director and screenwriter, who has worked in Hindi films. She made her acting debut with the 1998 film Dhoondte Reh Jaaoge!, directed by Kumar Bhatia. She also acted in movies like Mast (1999), Company (2002), Darna Mana Hai (2003), Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon (2003) and many more. She made a comeback with the 2010 film …And Once Again, directed by Amol Palekar, in which she plays the role of Savitri, who was assumed to be dead, but the situations in her life force her to adopt the life of a monk. Mali went for a bald look in the movie to play the role of the monk.
4. Shilpa Shetty - The Desire (2012)
The Indian actress, film producer, author and former model, Shilpa Shetty Kundra made her screen debut in Bollywood with the 1993 film Baazigar, co-starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. It was followed by her 1994 film Main Khiladi Tu Anari. She gained prominence as a leading lady with her role in movies like Dhadkan (2000), Indian (2001), Rishtey (2002), Phir Milenge (2004), Dus (2005), Life in a… Metro (2007), and many more. In 2010, she appeared in Indo-Canadian film The Desire, in which she played the role of Indian Odissi Dancer, who travels worldwide for her performances and has no faith in love and marriage, however, situations force her to take up the life of a monk. For her role in the movie, the actress went bald.
5. Priyanka Chopra - Mary Kom (2014)
The Miss World 2000 titleholder, Priyanka Chopra Jonas is one of the highest paid actresses of Bollywood, who is a recipient of several awards, including Filmfare Award, National Film Award and Padma Shri. After winning Miss World, Priyanka made her screen debut with the 2002 Tamil film Thamizhan. She made her debut in Bollywood with the 2003 film The Hero: Love Story of a Spy, co-starring Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta. Other important movies of her career include Andaaz (2003), Krrish (2006), Don (2006), Fashion (2008), Kaminey (2009), 7 Khoon Maaf (2011), Barfi! (2012), Bajirao Mastani (2015), Dil Dhadakne Do (2015), and many more. In Omung Kumar’s 2014 biographical sports drama Mary Kom based on the life of Indian boxer and Olympic bronze medalist Mary Kom, she played the titular role. To depict a part of Mary Kom’s life, the film features the bald look of Bollywood’s top actress Priyanka Chopra.
6. Kangana Ranaut - Katti Batti (2015)
Kangana Ranaut after making her acting debut in the 2006 film Gangster, directed by Anurag Basu went on to appear in films like Life in a… Metro (2008), Fashion (2008), Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai (2010), Tanu Weds Manu (2011), Krrish 3 (2013), Queen (2014), Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi (2019) and many more. In Nikkhil Advani’s 2015 romantic comedy drama Katti Batti, Kangana Ranaut played the role of a girl named Payal, who falls in love with Maddy (Imran Khan), but after sometime, the two separate. However, Maddy couldn’t forget her and crazily tries to locate her, and finds out that Payal is suffering from cancer. Kangana sported the bald look to play the last-stage cancer patient going through chemotherapy.
7. Tanvi Azmi - Bajirao Mastani (2015)
Born to Marathi-Hindi actress Usha Kiran, Tanvi Azmi is a famous Indian television and film actress who is married to Indian filmmaker and cinematographer, Baba Azmi. She started her acting career with the 1985 film Pyari Behna, directed by Bapu. She has also acted in movies like Mela (2000), Delhi-6 (2009), Anjaana Anjaani (2010), Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013), Bobby Jasoos (2014), and many more. She is one of the Bollywood actresses who went bald on-screen for her role in Sanjay Leela Bansali’s 2015 epic historical period romantic drama Bajirao Mastani. The actress played the role of Radhabai, Bajirao’s mother. According to Indian historical culture, a widow was supposed to shave her head and always wear white clothes. Thus, she adopted a bald look to justify her role in the movie.
8. Anushka Sharma - Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016)
One of the highest paid and most successful actresses of Bollywood, Anushka Sharma is the recipient of several awards, who started her acting career with Aditya Chopra’s 2008 romantic drama Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, alongside Shah Rukh Khan. She rose to prominence with her second film Band Baaja Baaraat (2010), which was followed by her other important films, including Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012), PK (2014), Dil Dhadakne Do (2015), Sultan (2016), Phillauri (2017), Sanju (2018), Zero (2018) and many more. In Karan Johar’s 2016 film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, she played the role of Alizeh, love interest of Ayan (Ranbir Kapoor). The situations and circumstances force the two to separate, but eventually the two unite when Ayan learns that Alizeh is suffering from cancer. Thus, the movie features the bald look of leading actress of Bollywood, Anushka Sharma, who sported the look to play the cancer patient.
9. Tamannaah Bhatia / Anya Singh - Stree 2: Sarkate Ka Aatank (2024)
Though Tamannaah Bhatia and Anya Singh had a minuscule role in Amar Kaushik's blockbuster, Stree 2: Sarkate Ka Aatank, both were seen sporting a bald look in the film. The story of the horror comedy flick revolved around the headless ghost who carried away the local women and later turned them bald and draped them in a white saree.
