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Mumbai: Bollywood actress Dia Mirza called out the age bias prevalent in Bollywood. She stated how the industry finds it difficult to think of women as desirable after a certain age. The actress, who is also a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, was speaking at the We The Women event.
Questioning the romantic pairing in movies, she said, "I find it interesting that I’m cast opposite actors in their late 50s, 60s and even 70 - and we're meant to be seen as romantic equals on screen." The actress highlighted that such opportunities were not available to women in their 60 or 70s.
"Yet you’ll never see a 60- or 70-year-old woman cast opposite a man in his 40s, playing a contemporary romantic lead," said Mirza. She added, "That pairing simply doesn’t exist for women. Not because it lacks credibility - but because our industry still struggles to imagine women as desirable, relevant, and central beyond a certain age."
She asserted that her comments were not about men ageing. However, she pointed out that women after a certain age were not given as much visibility as men of the same age. "It’s not about men ageing, it's about women being denied the right to age with visibility, dignity, and complexity on screen,' said the actress.
Mirza just completed the filming of an untitled romantic drama directed by Kanwal Sethi. Apart from acting, Mirza has also proven herself as a producer. She is all set for the screening of her Marathi short film Panha at the All Living Things Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF) this year.
It is important to note that the actresses come in at a time when gender inequality and equal opportunities are widely discussed in the film industry. However, very little is said or done about the unsaid bias that lurks in the industry.
