Now, not even the kindest of critics will rate Sonali Bendre as one of the finer actors to grace the screens from the last 30 years. Her emotive range was limited to a smile that lit up her face. Histrionics of the right kind was alien to her – but despite all those obvious shortcomings, Sonali had that ineffable something, a something that we know as “star” quality. That was enough for her to sign up for a steady stream of releases through the 1990s, even teaming up with Shahrukh twice as he was cruising his way to stardom. There were also a few turns in south Indian movies, but the defining visuals from the Sonali portfolio are those accompanying the Kumar Sanu song – ‘Sambhala Hai Maine…’ from ‘Naaraz’. To fans of 1990s vintage, that’s more than enough…
