Close on the heels of buzz that actor Kareena Kapoor will apparently be taking a cut from the profits of her film Heroine, comes news that actor Deepika Padukone has put forth her own set of conditions to return to Race 2, that apparently also includes having a say in the film’s release date. But these two are not the only ones.

An increasing number of the industry’s power-puff girls (read: A list heroines) are now asserting their star power, be it demanding higher remuneration or adjustment of dates or flaunting brand magic. Trade analysts too agree, though they insist that it is true only in the case of the top-most rung.  “Much has to do with the fact that most of these top heroines today are not only props in films, but are actually a huge factor when it comes to selling the films and the industry is accepting it too,” they say.

“A film with Deepika in it or a Kareena or Katrina Kaif or even Priyanka Chopra is more likely to fetch a higher price, than a film without them. And it’s not a few lakhs we are looking at, but several crores,” reveals an industry insider. Trade analyst Komal Nahta adds that what has helped is the fact that several of the recent films were heroine-centric and so are the ones coming up.

“Be it in brand endorsements or plum film projects, the heroines are catching up with the heroes more than ever before and this puts them in a better position to bargain or negotiate deals,” explains Nahta. “Also the current crop of actresses is far more financially secure and they need not pander to the whims and fancies of filmmakers or heroes like their counterparts would sometimes have to in the past. So they don’t mind dictating their terms in some cases, though the industry still remains a hero-driven one,” adds a veteran filmmaker.

Nahta however insists that there’s no one cause to trigger this. “There are better scripts for heroines today, more scope for them to perform too. Besides, though the film still sells on the name of the hero, the heroine does make an impact too. Vidya Balan’s The Dirty Picture has been a big game changer in many ways when it comes to opening more avenues for heroine-driven projects,” informs Nahta.

“The industry has always been very partial when it comes to favouring the heroes. But time and again there have been talented actresses like Sridevi or Kajol, who’ve managed to have filmmakers acknowledge their star status, so it’s only a matter of having the talent and enough success to give you the confidence to show who’s the real star,” quips a top actress.