Bollywood's Double Standard: Why Age and Flexibility Matter More for Heroines
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Bollywood's reputation for gender bias has long been a topic of discussion. Actor Ranveer Singh's recent success, Dhurandhar, was met with criticism for pairing him with a 20-year-old co-star. Actor Shefali Shah, known for playing a mother to Akshay Kumar in Waqt: The Race Against Time (2005), agrees that the industry's norms favor men. According to Shah, 'hero' roles can accommodate actors of any age, but 'heroine' roles are limited to women aged 18-25. 'It's not just about age,' Shah says, 'but about the shelf life of female actors.' Shah has personally experienced the industry's double standard, playing a character older than herself in a film. She believes that gender plays a significant role in the ongoing debate over fixed working hours for female actors. 'Why is it a big deal when a woman requests flexible working hours?' Shah asks, pointing out that male actors often take breaks to care for their families without facing similar scrutiny. 'It's an individual's choice,' Shah emphasizes. 'Let's focus on the work, not the woman behind it.'
