Gulmohar actor Sharmila Tagore calls Bollywood ‘ageist’: Powerful roles go to the men

Sharmila Tagore will share the screen with Manoj Bajpayee in Gulmohar.

Veteran actress Sharmila Tagore is all set to make her comeback to the silver screen with Gulmohar. The actress, who has been a part of the industry for over six decades, recently opened up about how she felt like Bollywood was a bit ageist and highlighted the stark differences between the parts which were written for veteran actors and actresses.

In conversation with PTI, Sharmila said that the industry was still a bit ageist, stating that a lot of the powerful roles still went to men. As an example, she spoke of how special scripts were being written for actors like Amitabh Bachchan and Anupam Kher, while skilled actresses like Waheeda Rahman and other ageing actresses were not even considered for such parts.

She compared Bollywood unfavourably to Hollywood, where actresses like Meryl Streep, Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, are still given good roles. The actress also praised Neena Gupta, calling her a mature and magnificent actor. Saying that there were many others like her, Sharmila added that OTT was full of such wonderful performers. Expressing optimism for the future, she said “It will take time but it will change. It will happen here”.

Sharmila was last seen in the 2010 Danish Aslam directorial, Break Ke Baad, which starred Deepika Padukone and Imran Khan in lead roles. The actress is making her comeback to the silver screen after more than a decade with Gulmohar, a direct to OTT film that also marks her digital debut.

The film will see Sharmila share the screen with Manoj Bajpayee, Amol Palekar, Suraj Sharma, and Simran. In an earlier statement, Sharmila had called the film a relatable household story. “It is a balance between tradition and modernity and how families can bridge that gap with love and warmth”, she had said.

Gulmohar, directed by Rahul V Chittella, will premiere on Disney+ Hotstar on March 3, 2023.

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