Bollywood leading ladies pack some punches

Used to watching Bollywood heroines on screen singing and dancing around trees? Take a break. You will now see them in action-oriented roles smashing the baddies.

Several leading ladies of Hindi commercial cinema will be packing some punches in their high-octane action movies lined up for release in the coming months.

B-town heroines like Priyanka Chopra, Sonakshi Sinha, Jacqueline Fernandez, Lisa Ray and newcomer Ritika Singh will be up against bad guys in action films.

In Prakash Jha's “Jai Gangaajal” Priyanka Chopra plays the role of a police officer. The action drama is a follow-up to 2003 hit film “Gangaajal” starring Ajay Devgn.

“It's a great time for us ...it feels fantastic. Audiences are open to see different kind of content on screen and it is proved with films like 'Mary Kom'. It is indication that things are headed in the right direction and people are open to watch heroines hitting up people,” according to Priyanka.

Actress Sonakshi Sinha's next two films “Akira” and “Force 2” are action films and she enjoyed doing it on screen.

“I play a RAW agent in 'Force 2'. I have done action films with the biggest heroes. I have just learnt from them. I believe from learning from experience as those experiences have prepared me to do a film like 'Akira' and 'Force 2'. It was a great experience, it challenged me...pushed my limits,” she said.

Sonakshi also believes in doing her own stunts. “I like doing my own stunt. I do my own stunts excepts something that I am incapable of doing or is dangerous. There are a few situations where we use a professional for doing action scenes,” Sonakshi said. “I have been trained enough for 'Akira' to do my stunts and that training helped me in doing 'Force 2'. I have injured myself so many times but one has to be careful every time,” she said.

Jacqueline will be seen in action film “Dishoom” alongside John Abraham and Varun Dhawan. “I am part of the scenario. I get to do some action,” she added.

Ritika Singh is making her debut in Hindi film industry with R Madhavan's “Saala Khadoos”. The film features Madhavan in the leading role as a boxing coach, with Ritika as an aspiring boxer. The sports drama directed by Sudha Kongara, releases on January 29. 

Actress Lisa Ray will also be seen doing action in “Ishq Forever”. “I am so excited to play a strong, action-oriented woman on screen,” she adds. “Ishq Forever” is an upcoming romantic drama musical film directed by Sameer Sippy. The film is slated to release in January.

Anushka Sharma has also recently been signed to play a wrestler in “Sultan” that stars Salman Khan in the lead.