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Bollywood's top 12 cover girls

To date, film and fashion magazines thrive on cover girls. Heroines who have an in-born flair for posing for still cameras continue to captivate readers of glossies. The print medium, despite the onslaught of the Internet, has survived to a degree. Yet, it's no secret that to keep afloat, several niche magazines depend on yearly award events.
The hallowed broadsheet Screen, for instance, is no longer a weekly habit. It has been retained as a digital entity, and its annual function - organised before the year ends - sets the tone for the other award soirees to come.
Bollywood, like the rest of the world, has spawned an enclave of cover girls - right from Madhubala, who would have turned 85 if she were alive on February 14, to the current eye-catchers Sonam Kapoor and Alia Bhatt.
And, believe me, exclusive photo sessions can be quite a creative and arduous task, involving locations, hairstyling, makeup, bespoke costumes, props, lighting and, of course, a specialised photographer's skill in capturing memorable images. Of late, the sessions have even taken place in overseas spots - ranging from London and Paris to New York.
There was a time, though, when cover images would have to be shot essentially at the photographer's studio, at swishy hotel suites or, at a pinch, between breaks of a film shoot.
Male stars may have commanded audience attention on a priority basis since time immemorial. Yet, by and large, it's the heroines who have commanded way higher magazine sales. Here's looking at the all-time top 12 cover girls from the Hindi film industry.
Madhubala: Unquestionably the most photogenic face ever, she seemed to delight, especially in candid shots. Straddling the black-and-white era of the 1950s, Madhubala looked as enigmatic in colour. Indeed, the shots clicked by photographer James Burke of Life magazine have ensured her immortality. Ironically, the pictures weren't seen during her lifetime and eventually emerged online.
Nargis: A powerhouse actress, she shunned fancy trappings for her stills. In keeping with the spotless persona conceived for her by Raj Kapoor, she was most as ease in images showing her as the Lady in White.
Meena Kumari: Her most striking cover photo showed her bedecked to the hilt for her role of the pure-hearted courtesan in the long-delayed-in-the-making Pakeezah (1972).
Sharmila Tagore: Right down to this day and age, she is regarded as the bold and beautiful one, courtesy the Filmfare magazine cover clicked of her in swimwear, bolstering her popularity during the era of breezy flicks like An Evening in Paris (1967).
Zeenat Aman: Come the 1970s, and the model-turned-actress rewrote the rules of B-town, donning sarongs and beachwear without inhibition. Momentarily, her thunder was stolen by her peer Parveen Babi, who appeared on the cover of TIME magazine. Yet, there was no one quite like "Zeenie baby", nicknamed so by Stardust magazine, during her heyday.
Madhuri Dixit: She used her widely-adored smile to advantage. Perhaps not too fashion-savvy, she became the face that sold thousands of magazines, whether garbed in traditional or Western outfits, and during the height of the Madhuri fever in the 1980s and '90s wore a blonde wig with elan.
Kareena Kapoor: She has always conveyed a youthful personality. Thanks to gymming and diet control, after giving birth to her first child, Kareena continues to be on top of the glamour game.
Priyanka Chopra: Ever since the American television series Quantico happened, Priyanka Chopra has adorned the cover of scores of international magazines, projecting herself as an Asian woman of substance. By intention or by chance, Deepika Padukone, comparatively, has kept her publicity overdrive under control.
Rekha: Once overweight and not quite savvy about the intricacies of makeup, Rekha got herself into shape and mastered the art of cosmetics and acquired the allure required for photoshoots. A cameraperson's delight, she still makes news whenever she is featured in photo-spreads.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: Justly regarded as one of the most beautiful women in the world, the former Miss World takes care to be clicked at the right angles - accentuating her grey-blue eyes - by camera wizards whom she trusts implicitly.
Alia Bhatt: She isn't prolific on covers - not as yet. The favourite of the teenage campus crowd, Alia Bhatt is equally at home in casual outfits and elaborate ensembles.
Sonam Kapoor: Her à la mode covers, especially for high fashion glossies, guarantee rapid sales. Blending innate savoir faire with haute couture, she's been a role model for the millennials. Self-appointed fashion vigilantes keep monitoring her red carpet gowns as well as accessories.
wknd@khaleejtimes.com