Heroine (Hindi pronunciation: [ˈɦiːɾoːɪn]) is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed, written, and co-produced by Madhur Bhandarkar.

Additionally, the film also stars Shahana Goswami, Raqesh Bapat, Divya Dutta, Helen, Shilpi Sharma, Mugdha Godse and Lillete Dubey in supporting roles.

[3] A journalist reports on the life of Mahi Arora, a renowned film actress, describing her as unstable and problematic, but damaged and lonely due to childhood trauma, and bipolar disorder.

Mahi starts a relationship with the Vice Captain of the India national cricket team, Angad Paul.

At a poorly-attended press conference for an upcoming film, Mahi is mocked by journalists who inform her that the director has cast another actress opposite Aryan.

She finally decides to leave the industry after her agent Rashid Bhai, a father figure to her, quits, and Shagufta Rizvi, a veteran actress she respected and admired, dies.

Along with writer Niranjan Iyengar, the director began developing the story about the life of an actress and later approached UTV Motion Pictures with whom he had worked on several occasions.

[22] Explaining why he was launching the project in Cannes, Screwvala alluded to Rai's star power saying, "She is the brand ambassador for India, and for Indian cinema, when it comes to the French Riviera."

The actress was quick to deny any reference to her personal life being portrayed in the movie and said that the entire idea was a result of Bhandarkar's conceptualisation.

[23] The official press release distributed as a part of the announcement stated that "The film is based on the life and times of a superstar heroine, Mahi from the dream factory we call 'Bollywood'.

"[24] Pre-production work on the film was expected to commence during the summer of 2010 but was put on hold due to Kareena Kapoor, who had replaced Rai, being busy with other commitments.

[25] Though speculated to be based on the lives of yesteryear divas like Madhubala and Marilyn Monroe, Bhandarkar denied the reports saying that the film is a "contemporary take which reveals the underbelly of the movie industry and its well-kept secrets".

[29] Thapar was strangled in her hotel room in Gorakhpur and her body dumped into a water tank and severed head thrown out of the window of a moving bus.

However, there were several matured content featuring Kareena Kapoor, which were essential and must be not be edited out in order to retain the motive of the title of the film, as per the director, Bhandarkar.

On 22 July 2012, 2 of the first look posters were revealed on the micro blogging site, Twitter, and received an overwhelming response in just 8 hours of their release.

[36] It was announced that music director duo Salim–Sulaiman, who had earlier worked with Madhur Bhandarkar in Fashion (2008), will be composing the songs for Heroine.

The website's critical consensus reads, "A brief snapshot of a much bigger picture, this is an interesting film as far as it goes but, like its subject, not all that unusual."

Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the film a rating of 3.5 out of 5 while saying "Watch HEROINE for Bhandarkar's imposing direction, for Kapoor's superlative performance, watch it also for its fearless, inspiring and enlightening storyline divulging the scandalous realities of the movie industry.

From doing the raunchy act in 'Halkat Jawani' to the scenes where she is battling depression and popping pills, Kapoor makes Mahi memorable and lovable.

[44] Aniruddha Guha of DNA gave Heroine 2 out 5 stars while commenting, "The characters are all caricatured and the screenplay meanders along aimlessly, it being nothing more than an assemblage of scenes – each disjointed from the other – strung together in a long, sleep-inducing and pointless narrative".

[45] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV rated it 2 out of 5 stars, noting "The film that Bhandarkar has made is indeed disappointingly mechanical.

[46] Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN rated the film 2 out of 5 and said "Despite an entertaining first-half, thanks to all the unintentional laughs, Heroine slips into a slush of melodrama post-interval.