Bollywood's heroines: Not entitled to private lives?

Kareena Kapoor: The Mrs tag already seems to set to get in the way of Bebo's career, even before she actually marries fiancé Saif Ali Khan. Close on the heels of reports about Kareena walking out of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Ram Leela came a confession from a source close to the ace director. Mr Bhansali, it seems, did not want a married heroine for his desi version of Romeo And Juliet. So Ms Kapoor, who will soon be seen in Madhur Bhandarkar's Heroine, was shown the door.

Bebo is just the latest casualty. Is it really that hard to be an actress as well as a wife and mother in Bollywood? The dipping career graphs of the ladies ahead would prove so.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: Time was when Ash could name her price and dictate terms, not only as Bollywood's top actress but also as it's most internationally known face.

In 2007, Ash became Mrs Abhishek Bachchan. That didn't seem to change her filmy fortunes much, with roles in Jodhaa Akbar, Sarkar Raj and the blockbuster Robot. But just when it seemed Ash would buck Bollywood's anti-missus trend, she was ousted from Madhur Bhandarkar's much-talked about Heroine. The reason – she had just announced her pregnancy.

Ash had launched the ambitious Heroine in Cannes just one month before. Yet, after father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan outed her pregnancy on Twitter, she was dropped from the project, despite the fact that she would have completed filming before giving birth. Madhur said Ash had “hidden the truth" from him.

Genelia D'Souza: She is best remembered for her role of Anjali from Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na but when she decided to tie the knot with long time beau Riteish Deshmukh the roles dried up, almost instantly. The actress' last release was Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya opposite her husband, and she has no Bollywood or South projects in hand. Genelia is currently hosting a TV show.

Shilpa Shetty: Her triumphant conquest of Bigg Brother in Britain was followed by a high profile wedding to businessman Raj Kundra in 2009. Two months ago, Shilpa gave birth to son Viaan. Guess how many film releases she had in between - one. The Desire was an Indo-Chinese film, and was produced by Shilpa's mother.

Lara Dutta: Former Miss Universe Lara Dutta married tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi in 2011 and gave birth to daughter Saira in January this year. She's had two releases in between, Don 2 and Challo Dilli, both of which were shot earlier, and only one project in hand.

Kajol: The very talented Kajol is famously choosy about her roles. Even so, her count of lead roles between marrying Aay Devgn in 1999 till now stands at a dismal six. Kajol's decision to marry when she was at the peak of her career earned her much criticism – an indication of how easily the assumption was made that marriage would end her success.

Karisma Kapur: Stardom came later and less easily to Randhir and Babita's elder daughter than it did to the younger Kareena. But by the time Karisma married businessman Sanjay Kapur in 2003, she had a string of hit films on her resume. For six long years, she had no roles, and her comeback in this year's Dangerous Ishhq received a lukewarm welcome, at best.

Raveena Tandon: Her author backed roles I Daman and Shool were a thing of the past after Raveena married film distributor Anil Thadani in 2004. Since then she's appeared in three obscure films, and made what is hardly more than a cameo opposite Amitabh Bachchan in Bbuddah… Hoga Terra Baap.

Juhi Chawla: Once beloved for her comic timing and girl-next-door charm, mother of two Juhi now sticks to films termed “quirky” and “off beat.” With some degree of success – her last movie I AM won the National Award. But mainstream Bollywood is a closed chapter for her.

Madhuri Dixit: Should Mads be at the top of this list, rather than at the bottom? Probably, except that television seems to have given her a new lease of life. When Madhuri married Dr Shriram Nene in 1999, she was as big a star it was possible for any actress to be in the male dominated Bollywood of the late Eighties and Nineties.

She did feature in movies like Lajja, Devdas and the M F Husain directed Gaja Gamini. But Aaja Nachle, her big Bollywood comeback in 2007, was a fizzled firework.

But our Mads hasn't given up yet. She's currently judging this season of dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, and has signed the sequel to the hit Vidya Balan film Ishqiya.