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The ageism in Bollywood is glaring with male actors still doing 'stud' roles opposite women half their age, while their earlier heroines are now 'boring' old women?
The world is male dominated period. It might takes centuries for women to be at par. It’s a sad truth and coming from a feminist like me. Since the time she is in her mother’s womb, the girl child has to fight to get her due.
Now coming to ageism, marital status and being a parent, in most cases its the women who are judged and asked to “be in that role”.
Let’s take a look at the movie stars who are adored by the nation. The famous jodi of SRK-Kajol from the 90s is still loved by all. But yes… age spares no one and they also have aged, which by the way is a natural phenomenon. But, but.. SRK can still get away with romancing heroines half his age, still spreading his arms and doing his signature moves, displaying his six packs, and being called “hot”. While Kajol who is almost a decade younger to him, has been relegated to “mother” roles and that too mother of teenagers since in real life she has a teen daughter! Why the hypocrisy?
It’s a sad state of affairs where talented leading ladies like Madhuri Dixit, Kajol, Juhi Chawla and many others have to playing the “warrior mothers” while their contemporary or older leading men are still romancing and playing the leading men. Forget being leading ladies, why can’t these actresses play roles of fun, vivacious, goofy, flawed characters? Why do they have to play mother and that too sad and fighting mothers?
Being in the 40s and mother of teenagers doesn’t make you dull, lifeless and old! A Malaika at 49, who looks great, is being called a budhdhi and aunty but a Salman Khan or SRK, who are much older and look their age, are still called desirable and hot. Why the double standards?
Let’s accept ageing as a natural process and be fair to both the genders. If a woman is a parent or has wrinkles, so does the man!
I am a travel expert by profession and an avid blogger by passion. Parenting and women's issues are something that are close to my heart and I blog a lot about them. read more...
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Rajshri Deshpande, who played the fiery protagonist in Trial by Fire along with Abhay Deol speaks of her journey and her social work.
Rajshri Deshpande as the protagonist in ‘Trial by Fire’, the recent Netflix show has received raving reviews along with the show itself for its sensitive portrayal of the Uphaar Cinema Hall fire tragedy, 1997 and its aftermath.
The limited series is based on the book by the same name written by Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy, who lost both their children in the tragedy. We got an opportunity to interview Rajshri Deshpande who played Neelam Krishnamoorthy, the woman who has been relentlessly crusading in the court for holding the owners responsible for the sheer negligence.
Rajshri Deshpande is more than an actor. She is also a social warrior, the rare celebrity from the film industry who has also gone back to her roots to give to poverty struck farming villages in her native Marathwada, with her NGO Nabhangan Foundation. Of course a chance to speak with her one on one was a must!
“What is a woman’s job, Ramesh? Taking care of parents-in-law, husband, children, home and things at work—all at the same time? She isn’t God or a superhuman."
The arrays of workstations were occupied by people peering into their computer screens. The clicks of keyboard keys were punctuated by the occasional footsteps moving around to brainstorm or collaborate with colleagues in their cubicles. Most employees went about their tasks without looking at the person seated on either side of their workstation. Meenakshi was one of them.
The thirty-one-year-old marketing manager in a leading eCommerce company in India sat straight in her seat, her eyes on the screen, her fingers punching furiously into the keys. She was in a flow and wanted to finish the report while the thoughts and words were coming effortlessly into her mind.
Natu-Natu. The mellifluous ringtone interrupted her thoughts. She frowned at her mobile phone with half a mind to keep it ringing until she noticed the caller’s name on the screen, making her pick up the phone immediately.
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