There's not a single person in Bollywood who's unaware of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's renown and talent. Today marks the 61st birthday of the popular director. On this occasion, we'll explore the female characters portrayed by Bhansali in some of his most popular films.

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1. Madhuri Dixit as Chandramukhi in Devdas (2002)

Devdas depicts Chandramukhi as a courtesan who cannot help but fall for a person who does not love her back. The film also portrays her as a strong, feminist character who stands by her profession proudly in a society that does not respect artists like her. Chandramukhi, aka Madhuri Dixit's talent, really comes to the fore at the moment where she confronts Kali Babu in his home. There, she calls him out on his hypocrisy and doesn't hesitate to slap him across the face.

2. Rani Mukerji as Michelle McNally in Black (2005)

In this film, Rani Mukerji plays the role of an unfortunate character who suffers from audiovisual impairment. As a child, Michelle was violent and antisocial. Enter Debraj Sahai, played by Amitabh Bachchan, who teaches the unruly Michelle to communicate through sign language. Michelle faces a lot of hardships as she navigates life, which are not usually faced by normal people. Rani Mukerji does justice to Michelle's character as she strongly portrays the student and an adult who shows strong resilience to achieve her goalsmdashto get a graduation degree.

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3. Aishwarya Rai as Sofia D'Souza in Guzaarish (2010)

In Guzaarish, Sofia is a nurse to Ethan, who's a quadriplegic, played by Hritik Roshan. Her character initially seems very unsmiling and stringent, but she grows emotionally by leaps and bounds as the movie progresses. In order to take care of Ethan, she has to make a lot of sacrifices while suffering from abuse at the hands of her husband. The movie also deals with the topic of euthanasia, where we see how Sofia has to deal with Ethan wanting to euthanize his life rather than live. Her character is a strong portrayal of strength, hope, sacrifice, and acceptance.

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4. Deepika Padukone as Leela in Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013)

Leela's character in this film draws inspiration from Juliet, as the movie is loosely based on William Shakespeare's popular drama, Romeo and Juliet. Leela is carefree, naive, and mischievous at the beginning. We see her grow from a giggly girl to a diplomatic woman as she has to face deceit at the hands of Ram, her lover. The society expects her to sacrifice her love for enmity, as the two families have been at loggerheads with each other for decades. In the end, her character faces a tragic death. As a character, Leela is forgiving, passionate, and feels deeply enough to meet such an unfortunate end.

5. Alia Bhatt as Gangubai in Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022)

The Gangubai of Gangubai Kathiawadi is portrayed in a white saree, red tika, and with a proud gait. Cleverly played by Alia Bhatt, Gangu's journey takes us through the brothels of Kamathipura, where she fights for the basic rights of sex workers. The movie displays her as a soft character who feels deeply for the women who suffer every day with her. Her empathy is brought forth by her own experience of leaving her house and having no one to rely on. This motivates her to become someone these women can trust, and she stands for elections and even meets the prime minister of India, asking for health and educational rights for sex workers and their children.

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Sanjay Leela Bhansali's female characters typically exhibit both the sensitive side that most women possess and a strong feminist bent. His upcoming first Netflix series, 'Heeramandi', is a feast for the eyes for every Bhansali fan. It is the story of yet another multitude of strong women who are courtesans. The show stars renowned actresses like Sonakshi Sinha, Manisha Koirala, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Richa Chadha. Heeramandi will be available for streaming on Netflix from May 1.