Age no bar, marital status no bar and kids no bar either. Seems like this is what senior B-Town actresses are set to prove in the coming year, as the once reigning queens of the 80s and 90s are all set to romance the big screens once again. The coming year will witness a deluge of these actresses make a comeback to the silver screen. And even the ones who’ve attempted a comeback of sorts earlier are readying for another shot at films. And it’s not the mother-sister kind of roles that these ladies are settling for, instead it’s nothing less than the lead roles for these actresses.

Sridevi is currently shooting for English Vinglish, while Karisma Kapoor is busy with Dangerous Ishq. Buzz is that Madhuri Dixit-Nene is being wooed for the sequel of Ishqiya. Shilpa Shirodkar too is said to be knocking on Bollywood doors. Raveena Tandon who made a comeback of sorts early this year, is readying for another round of films more suited to her new svelte figure.

While industrywallahs give them a thumbs up, they admit that the reception to their comebacks by the audience will depend on the kind of roles they come back with. “There’s no doubt that they are a super-talented bunch and there’s a high curiosity and interest in their comebacks, but ultimately how they fare at the BO will depend on the roles and the film in totatilty,” says trade analyst Taran Adarsh.

Trade analyst Bharti Pradhan agrees. “They are all some of the best performers of their times, and they are looking in their best forms too, so why not?” she quips. “It’s not aping the Hollywood here, but a natural and gradual progression, and a good performance is what matters, not the marital status or age of the actor,” she adds.

A senior distributor adds that the actresses have all known to be complete performers, but they will have to be careful in the roles they select. “They were high on glam, were good dancers, but were known for their acting prowess too and by the time they called it quits, temporarily, they had gravitated towards more serious kind of roles. So, in those kind of performance-oriented roles, I’m sure they would be loved and accepted. If they can pull off hot numbers then that’s an added,” says the veteran insider. Raveena however feels that it’s unfair to call it a comeback.

“Where had we gone to call it a comeback. We had only taken a small break,” she insists. Comeback or not, talking about what lures them back to Tinsel Town, Madhuri says that it all depends on getting a role that would make you want to sign on the dotted line. “Acting has always been a passion, so it’s only about prioritising things,” explains Madhuri.

Optimistic about the response they will garner at the BO, actor Kareena Kapoor feels that the fans will definitely be excited about seeing their favourites on screen again. “We have grown up watching and loving their movies. So, of course, it’s exciting to see them set the screen on fire again,” says the current Bollywood hottie.