DesiDabba - Boss, Thoda Sa Roomani Ho Jaye

A while ago a number of us Bollywood-obsessed types were discussing family lineages in the film industry. And I ended up asking everyone who they thought was the star son or daughter who had outshone their parents considerably. Since I don’t have an encyclopedic knowledge of Bollywood I thought I’d repeat the discussion on DesiDabba to see if anyone can come up with better suggestions.

My vote for the male offspring who outdid his father is Hrithik Roshan. Dad Rakesh was a solid B-lister, a man who wore his shirts outside his pants (see Amol Palekar and other poetic Bollywood archetypes) and a swooshy wig that has since passed on as legend. He acted in a number of films, some as a headliner. But he eventually settled into a groove supporting marquee names throughout his career.

Son Hrithik on the other hand burst on the scene as an A-lister and has stayed there ever since - touted by many as the only actor who would challenge the Khan-deadlock on the industry. Initially I found his need to act with every muscle on his face and every fiber in his eyes somewhat interesting but the man is a pretty consumate star. Lately he appears to have gone through some acting coaches - which has resulted in more toned down performances – which makes him very competent.

And the winners for me in the female category are Karishma and Kareena Kapoor, who have far outstripped their mom Babita’s fame (after adjusting for media inflation). Babita toiled as a C-lister in thankless roles in sometimes memorable films.

After a series of frightful 80s-inspired turns with actors like Govinda, elder daughter Karishma established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the pre-Aishwarya era. Later as her star waned, younger sister Kareena walked on the scene, primed to be a star. Despite numerous flops, she successfully navigated an image makeover (gone: bubbly teen. in: mature chick equally comfortable in slacks and sarees) and produced some decent revenue for her producers.