There's an uprising in Bollywood. Not only are A-list actresses unhappy with the fact that they get paid less than one quarter of what their male counterparts do, many of these successful women are also annoyed that they get referred to as just 'Mrs so and so', or 'Superstar's girlfriend'. This has been bugging the daylights out of the women who are thinkers and achievers in their own right. Gone are the days when a woman in Bollywood was happy to bask in her partner's stardom.

Katrina Kaif, who was recently promoting Phantom, saw red when someone referred to her as Ranbir Kapoor's girlfriend. In the decade gone by, Kat has earned her stripes as a Bollywood superstar; she has also made it to Madame Tussauds and has many such achievements that have nothing to do with whom she is dating. To then refer to her just as Ranbir's girl is a bit misogynistic.

Her Phantom co-star Saif Ali Khan also rose to Katrina's defence when he said that there was more to Kat and his own wife Kareena Kapoor Khan than their roles as someone's partner or wife. Saif was absolutely vocal that they should not be asked questions about their role in the kitchen or when they will deliver babies. His simple point being - they have also scaled pinnacles of success and so, should be treated like professionals.

While it may be incorrect to just generalise and say that most yesteryear star wives were content with revelling in their famous husbands' glory, the contemporary film wife is a different species. Take the examples of women like Reena Khan and Sussanne Roshan. When they reckoned they had irreconcilable differences, they held their heads high and made dignified exits from their marriages to superstars Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan.

And there are still others like Twinkle Khanna who allowed her personality to bloom personally and professionally. Twinkle, who always enjoyed intellectual pursuits, has a fan base because of her writing and also has a thriving interior decoration business. The columnist-author was recently quoted saying that she finds it ridiculous that a woman's identity is based on who her husband is, or the nature of his job.

Likewise, actresses like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan too are not content with just being trophy wives. With each passing day, they uncover a personality trait and a steely resolve to continue with their conquests in the sun, not necessarily through their heavyweight marital surnames only. So, get ready to roll out the green carpet for the new Bollywood woman, whose goals go beyond that ghar ka aangan.