Bollywood has always been focused on men. But there have been brilliant
actresses in the past who have pulled the rug from under men’s feet often:
Meena Kumari, Nutan, Waheeda Rehman, Nargis and a few more. Sridevi
was a superstar whose presence in a film made a huge difference to the
masses. Madhuri Dixit became so dominant that the man simply disappeared
when she cast spell at times. But the focus on women’s height isn’t a very
old phenomenon, having happened when some of the leading men (the three
Khans for instance) were short but at the top of their game which they still
are. The important thing is, directors and producers cast taller heroines
today because of their value additions and also because film viewers accept
them readily.
