Veteran actress Shefali Shah has delivered a powerful critique of the deeply entrenched ageism and double standards faced by women in the Hindi film industry. In a candid interview, she highlighted the unfair rules that limit opportunities for actresses based on their age, while male actors enjoy long, unchallenged careers.
The Unwritten Rule: Heroines Must Stay Young
Speaking to Hindustan Times, Shefali Shah pointed out the industry's outdated mindset. She described it as "sad" that Bollywood still operates on an archaic formula where the hero can be of any age, but the heroine is expected to be perpetually young. "It should not be the norm, but sadly, our industry is about 'hero, heroine, villain' and hero has to be whatever number of years actually, but heroine has to only be between 18 to 25," she stated bluntly. Shefali emphasised that this thinking imposes an artificial "shelf life" on actresses, implying they cannot age on screen.
Acting is About Performance, Not Real Age
Challenging this narrow view, Shefali Shah articulated the true essence of acting. She argued that an actor's job is to portray diverse characters and emotions, which has no direct connection to their real-life age. "As an actor the point of being an actor is to act out different people and portray different shades of a person," she explained. She shared her own experience of having played a character much older than herself, driven by her belief in the power of performance. However, she lamented that the industry at large does not always embrace this perspective.
Her comments resonate strongly with the ongoing public debate around age-gap casting in Bollywood. This discussion was recently fuelled by the pairing of 40-year-old Ranveer Singh with 20-year-old Sara Arjun in the upcoming film 'Dhurandhar'. The casting sparked significant criticism online, with many questioning why such large age disparities in romantic pairings are routinely normalised.
Recalling Her Bold Exit From 'Rangeela'
In the same interview, Shefali Shah also revisited her early days in Bollywood, revealing a decisive moment from her career beginnings. She made her debut in 1995 with Ram Gopal Varma's 'Rangeela', a film starring Aamir Khan, Urmila Matondkar, and Jackie Shroff. However, her involvement was short-lived.
"Honestly, the role turned out to be very different from what I was told," she recalled. After merely four days of shooting, Shefali made the bold choice to walk away from the project. "After four days of shooting, I realised that this is not what I want to do," she said, standing by her principles even at the start of her journey. She also disclosed that she has still not watched the completed film.
Shefali Shah's forthright observations add a significant voice to the crucial conversation about gender parity and age discrimination in Indian cinema. As she continues to receive acclaim for her powerful performances like Vartika in 'Delhi Crime 3', her stance underscores the need for the industry to evolve beyond restrictive stereotypes and value talent over arbitrary age limits.
