Asha Parekh And Tanuja Calls Out Ageism In Bollywood And How It Favours Male Stars

Veteran actors Asha Parekh and Tanuja have played a crucial part in the development of Indian cinema. They frequently discuss the necessary changes that were required early on. During a recent conversation in ">Maitri: Female First Collective, Asha Parekh commented on the excellent quality of roles that are still being written for Amitabh Bachchan, while she herself is often given the role of a grandmother or mother.

Asha Parekh and Tanuja On Ageism

Both actors acknowledged that there is a dearth of roles that cater to women of their age and that men in the industry are paid more than their female counterparts. They also recollected their experiences shooting without proper facilities.

Parekh admitted that while aged male actors still receive significant roles, actors like herself are being overlooked. She questioned why women actors are not being given significant roles in films, rather than just being cast as mothers or sisters.

The female actors additionally addressed the absence of fundamental facilities when they were starting their careers, revealing that they were initially hesitant to complain about the insufficient bathroom arrangements. They noted that during that era, contemporary studios only had one restroom accessible for all, which was often unpleasant to use.

Tanuja commented that women now have the ability to speak up when they face issues like inadequate bathroom facilities. She added that in the past, women were taught to keep silent about such issues. Parekh mentioned that with the introduction of vanity vans, the problem of insufficient bathroom facilities for the crew has been resolved to some extent. However, in the past, the crew faced difficulties due to the lack of toilets. They also went on to explain how for women in the past, getting married often meant the end of their careers, but now it is not as much of an issue. They further noted how it is now acceptable for male actors who are 50 or 55 years old to work with female actors who are 20 years old.

They also mentioned how payment has always been a prevalent issue, both in the past and present times. They expressed that men have always had a higher status, and even Hollywood has not been able to eradicate this issue completely.

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