AS GOOD AS NEW: (From top) Raveena Tandon, Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi

Aishwariya Rai Bachchan’s legion of fans must be desolate. The question — whether she’d act in films after giving birth to her baby — hangs in the air. Heroines in Hindi films, after all, tend to disappear from the screen once their families grow.

But Ash fans needn’t lose heart. A new trend — of heroines making a comeback after a break — is on the rise. And they’re not playing mothers or mothers-in-law, but leading ladies.

Karisma Kapur, who hung up her make-up box after marriage in 2003, is all set to return with Vikram Bhatt’s 3-D thriller Dangerous Ishq. Raveena Tandon dazzled with an item number in Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap (BHTB) after a six-year break. She has also signed five new films. “Any one of these can be my comeback film,” says Raveena, who acted in the Bengali film Laboratory last year.

Raveena took a bow when she was at the peak of her career. “I wanted to enjoy my pregnancy, and then spend time with my babies,” she says. But now that her children are growing up, she feels she can devote time to films.

Many actresses seem to be thinking similarly — a new trend in Bollywood, despite the fact Dimple Kapadia made waves 25 years ago with Sagar, which came more than a decade after she shot to fame with Bobby.

Eighties’ diva Sridevi is ready to make a comeback with Gauri Shinde’s English Vinglish later this year. The film is about a married woman who has problems speaking English. Sridevi’s younger colleague, Madhuri Nene — nee Dixit — is also considering a few offers. “No films signed yet, but several under consideration,” she tweeted recently.

The actresses, however, aren’t comfortable with the word “comeback” which highlights their absence from the industry. “I have been in the industry, so what if I wasn’t acting in films,” says Raveena. Madhuri’s camp too isn’t happy about her being referred to as a “comeback” artiste. “Madhuriji made a comeback a few years ago. She isn’t interested in talking about it,” says secretary Rakesh Nath. And Sridevi is not ready to comment on her film yet.

There was a time when heroines retired in their prime, and returned years later in grey-haired side roles, be it Sharmila Tagore, Waheeda Rahman or Hema Malini. That’s changing. “The multiplex culture has made it possible for filmmakers to experiment in every genre. And that is making it possible for these actresses to return as leading ladies,” reasons host of TV show ETC Bollywood Business Komal Nahta.

Moreover, heroines no longer need to be single to attract audiences. Earlier, a married heroine was expected to bid goodbye to her career, because producers believed marriage made a dent on her popularity. “The audience today is far more mature than those of yesteryear. They understand the difference between the real and reel images of the screen divas,” says Nahta.

Another factor that’s helping the situation is that these women haven’t lost their youthful charm. Both Madhuri and Sridevi are in their forties but can given their younger colleagues a run for their money. “They have maintained themselves well, and that perhaps is making a difference,” agrees film historian Anil Zankar.

Zankar points out that many of them have also been active on TV: Raveena judged Comedy Ka Super Muqabla, Karisma presided over Nach Baliye and Madhuri over Jhalak Dikhla Jaa. “Repeat telecast of their films and their presence on reality and chat shows have helped them stay in public memory,” he says.

Not surprisingly, producers and directors believe older heroines can still woo audiences. “I have always wanted to cast Karisma. She is an excellent actress and will be able to do justice to my story, where she will go back in time to four different eras,” says Bhatt, whose film is based on past life regression.

For Shinde too, it was crucial to sign on Sridevi. “When I wrote the script, I knew the role could be essayed by none but Sridevi.” Shinde isn’t jittery about casting a star who has been out of the industry for 14 years. “She’s a great actress,” she holds.

For filmmakers, having a former heroine as the star of their new venture can be risky. Madhuri’s much-touted Aaja Nachle (2007) didn’t fare well. And the ex-stars don’t come any cheaper than their present day counterparts. “They charge as much as their peers do,” points out Nahta. But he adds that filmmakers sign them up for their quality of work.

Raveena agrees, pointing out that the industry remains the same. “Nothing much has changed, apart from the attitude to work. The people are far more professional now than in our time,” she says. “Of course, Hindi cinema has also broadened its horizon and there is work for everyone.”

In one aspect, though, it remains the same. Heroes in the male-dominated industry — where men still command the highest signing amounts and male-centric films continue to rule — have no trouble staying on despite marriage, children and age.

Amitabh Bachchan, for example, has been moving from role to role with ease in films revolving around him. BHTB, where he plays a young-at-heart 60-something man, is a case in point. Actors such as Sanjay Dutt, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan moved on to a new generation of heroines, while their older heroines — Madhuri, Raveena, Karisma included — disappeared.

“Men never take a sabbatical,” says social scientist Shiv Visvanathan. “Unlike actresses, they take longer to fade from the limelight.”

Visvanathan, however, isn’t so optimistic about the former heroines’ comeback bids. “Madhuri’s Aaja Nachle failed to impress the masses. So how much of a success Sridevi’s comeback will be depends much on the role she chooses. If her comeback role fits her age, it might click; if not, it will be a miss. Most comebacks have failed.”

But if it does work out, he adds, it will be a “welcome change” for Bollywood. The divas would agree.