12 November,2019 07:24 AM IST | Mumbai | Vinamra Mathur
Picture Courtesy: Official Instagram Account/Juhi Chawla
Aamir Khan wasn't the only name that became an overnight sensation with the blockbuster success of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak in 1988, Juhi Chawla too left the nation in a collective state of reverie. She was both guileless and gorgeous, and the combined vulnerability of the debut leads worked magically for the film's legacy. Not one, but two stars were both that day.
Chawla was an unabashed performer, towering above her heroes and owning the film with her charm and spontaneity. And as she celebrates her birthday on November 13, there couldn't be a better occasion to revisit some of her most splendid and searing performances and films, which will never get rusted and redundant. These characters and portrayals vary drastically in range, displaying her versatility and effortlessness. Have a look at them:
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In 2007, the nation saw Geet, an unapologetic motormouth. But way before Kareena Kapoor Khan made her idiosyncrasies look cool and charming, there was Vaijanti Iyer of Mahesh Bhatt's Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke that reached there before. Chawla was always a fantastic comic, and this comedy was probably the proof of her chops. Her endless balderdash never felt discomforting or exhausting, on the contrary, we wanted more of her feistiness whenever she was on the screen. It seems for every dour protagonist, Hindi Cinema made an equally dazzling lover.
Abbas-Mustan presented an untapped side of Chawla in this remake of Sleeping With The Enemy. She was a victim of domestic violence and physical abuse at the hands of her psychotic husband. Although remembered for Arbaaz Khan's surprisingly chilling performance, Chawla held her own. Her fear, pain, and anguish all felt real. She could illicit panic as seamlessly as laughter.
A lot has to be said about a performer that can nearly overshadow Aamir Khan twice in her career. In Indra Kumar's Ishq, she was a lot more unfiltered than in Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke. And once again, the actress displayed her blazing comic chops, standing tall and proudly in the same frame as Kajol, Khan and Ajay Devgn. A lot of humour in Ishq relied on farce and innuendo, but she pulled everything off convincingly, without making herself or the audience a fool.
Hindi Cinema, particularly over the last two decades, hasn't done dramas with finesse. But Onir's My Brother... Nikhil remains a worthy title and a much-needed exception. Chawla played Anamika, the eponymous character's sister. He's in love with a man and is diagnosed with AIDS, but Onir doesn't resort to manipulation, the very staple in today's filmmaking. He keeps the tone restrained and the narrative rousing. And at its heart was Chawla's remarkable portrayal of a sister who's about to lose his brother. This film was further proof of why Juhi Chawla is a fine actor.
Nikkhil Advani's Salaam-E-Ishq didn't do well. It was a story about six couples and their love and complications. It was nearly four hours long and the audiences couldn't connect with most of the characters after a point. Personally, two stories resonated the most, Govinda and that of Juhi Chawla's. Her husband, played by Anil Kapoor, began an extramarital affair as he wanted to break away from the monotony and mundaneness of his life. Chawla, after realising his infidelity, handled her scenes with a heartbreaking approach. It still remains a highly underrated performance in a story that deserved an individual film.
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