Bollywood's Leading Actresses Over 40: What Rani, Kajol, Kareena, Priyanka, Tabu, Vidya and Others Are Doing Next

I saw a list going around online this week, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.

It was simple. Bollywood's biggest actresses who are over 40. What they've released recently, and what's next. That's it. But when you line them all up next to each other, a story jumps out that no single interview or box office report tells you.

These women are not having the same career. Not even close. Some are building empires. Some are reinventing. And a couple have just... gone quiet.

Let's go one by one. Where projects aren't officially announced, I'll say so.

Rani Mukerji: the franchise queen

Recently: Mardaani 3.

Next: a cameo in King.

Rani is doing something almost no Hindi actress gets to do: headline her own franchise. Three Mardaani films. A cop she owns completely. Male stars build franchises all the time. For an actress, it's still rare, and Rani made it look normal.

Kajol: genre-hopping, finally

Recently: Maa, Sarzameen, The Trial season 2.

Next: Maharagni: Queen of Queens.

Horror, war drama, legal drama, and now a period title with "queen" in it twice. Kajol, who was once the queen of the romantic family film, is clearly bored of being one thing. I love this phase.

Kareena Kapoor: picking carefully

Recently: Daayra.

Next: no new film officially confirmed, though she's reported to have a dance number in King.

Kareena has been the smartest chooser of her generation lately. Fewer films, more interesting ones. Daayra, with Meghna Gulzar, is exactly the kind of risk she didn't take in her 20s.

Priyanka Chopra: one foot in each world

Recently: The Bluff.

Next: SS Rajamouli's Varanasi.

Hollywood pirate films on one side, a Rajamouli epic on the other. Priyanka never chose between Bollywood and Hollywood. She just kept both doors open. Varanasi could be the biggest Indian film she's ever done.

Tabu: the one everybody wants

Recently: Drishyam: The Conclusion.

Next: Golmaal 5 and Slum Dog: 33 Temple Road, among others.

Tabu remains the most fascinating actor in this list. A broad comedy franchise and a dark, performance-led film in the same slate? That's Tabu. She moves between commercial and serious cinema like there's no wall between them, because for her, there isn't.

Vidya Balan: the most exciting slate

Recently: Raja Shivaji, Jailer 2.

Next: Mauja Hi Mauja with Akshay Kumar, directed by Anees Bazmee, and Long Years Ago, a reported Ritesh Batra film with Saif Ali Khan.

Okay, this is the one that got me. An Anees Bazmee comedy with Akshay. And a Ritesh Batra film, the director of The Lunchbox, with Saif. Those are two completely different universes of cinema. Masala on one side, quiet human drama on the other. If both land, Vidya has the most interesting next two years of anyone here.

Madhuri Dixit: OTT is home now

Recently: Maa Behen, Mrs Deshpande.

Next: no major theatrical project officially announced.

Madhuri has found a steady, diverse groove on streaming. Not every career has to be about the box office, and she seems genuinely relaxed about it.

Katrina Kaif and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: where did they go?

Katrina: last release Merry Christmas (2024). No new acting project officially announced.

Aishwarya: last release Ponniyin Selvan II (2023). No new film officially announced.

These are two of the most famous faces in Indian cinema. And right now, there's nothing on the calendar.

Maybe it's a choice. Maybe it's family, rest, business, or simply not finding the right script. They don't owe anyone a release. But as a fan, it stings a little. Imagine Aishwarya in a Mani Ratnam-style role written for who she is today. Imagine Katrina in a proper grown-up thriller. The industry should be chasing them with scripts.

The bigger picture

When you put all nine side by side, here's what I see:

• There's no single path anymore. Franchise, streaming, global, arthouse, comedy. These actresses are all doing different things, and that's healthy.

• OTT changed the maths. For a lot of actresses over 40, streaming gave them lead roles that cinema stopped offering.

• But the big-screen ambition gap is real. Look at how many "no officially announced project" lines there are. Male stars of the same age are still headlining the biggest event films. Their female peers are often fighting for one good script.
  

What I want to see

Honestly? Bigger swings.

I want a Kajol-Tabu two-hander thriller. I want Rani in an out-and-out action film that isn't Mardaani. I want a filmmaker to write a love story for women over 40 that isn't about being someone's mother.

This generation of actresses built Hindi cinema's last 30 years. The least the industry can do is write for them like it knows that.

Still in a Bollywood mood? Read our take on Sidharth and Kiara's Koffee With Karan promo.

Frequently asked questions

What are Vidya Balan's upcoming films?

Vidya Balan's upcoming slate includes Anees Bazmee's comedy Mauja Hi Mauja with Akshay Kumar, and a reported Ritesh Batra film, Long Years Ago, with Saif Ali Khan.

What is Priyanka Chopra's next Indian film?

Priyanka Chopra is part of SS Rajamouli's Varanasi.

When was Katrina Kaif's last film?

Katrina Kaif's last release was Merry Christmas in 2024. No new acting project has been officially announced.

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Vishal Waghela is the Co-Founder of AltBollywood and a proud neo-generalist who refuses to pick a lane. Film, music, memes, fashion, AI, internet subcultures: if pop culture touches it, he's already three rabbit holes deep. He writes the way he lives online, loud, emotional, a little chaotic and always honest about why culture makes us feel things. Come argue with him on Instagram at @vishal.waghe1a.