I summed up a list of characteristics you’d find in every B-town commercial actress ever, and you guessed it, they’re all about “Good looks, good looks and good looks.”

1. Minimum half the male lead’s age.

A cardinal rule in Bollywood commercial blockbusters is that the female ‘lead’ (if you can call her that) must be at least half the age of a megastar with a cult-like following, 1/4th of him in size and not have more than 1/8th the screen time. 

2. A superhuman body.

I mean who the hell is capable of these insane proportions? Were these girls sculpted by Michaelangelo? You have to sell your soul to the gym to achieve even a fraction of this perfection. I want to know which asshole put it in the constitution of Bollywood that no female star can exceed a size two. 

3. She can have a spine, but only as long as it’s ‘cute’.

In contemporary mainstream cinema, a heroine is not soft-spoken and she is definitely not meek. She wears a tiny skirt just as well as she wears a saree, both perfectly tailored to cater to the male gaze. She is empowered and speaks her mind, but just enough for it to be cute and not let herself overshadow the real hero aka the male lead.

4. Golden retriever eyes. 

We get it Bollywood, you want these women to be adorable, to be lovable, to be passionate and stirring. But what’s with the big, batting, golden retriever eyes? Seriously, every single heroine does it. Are women puppies?

5. They’re all white!

Can you think of one dusky girl who served as a lead in an everyday flick? No? Me neither. That’s just embarrassing, especially in a society where movies hold so much power and women have to battle colourism every single day of their lives.

For heaven’s sake, Bollywood. These women and the hundreds of others waiting in line have a lot more to offer than just looks. Just hand them a script and put their talents to good use instead of just sticking them in another outfit rehearsal.