Taapsee Calls Out Bollywood’s Age-Old Bias
Taapsee Pannu has never been one to mince words, and this time she’s taking aim at one of Bollywood’s most persistent taboos: ageism. In a candid chat, the actress opened up about how the industry’s obsession with youth leaves women with a painfully short shelf life, while male stars continue to romp through rom-coms well into their 50s.
“I came into the Hindi film industry when I was in my mid-twenties,” she revealed. “For three or four years, you’re struggling to get a decent role. By the time you make a mark, you’ve crossed 30. Then they say you’re not young enough to be featured in a rom-com.” The actress pointed out that even when age has little relevance to a character, younger actresses are frequently preferred. “So even till date, there are so many times when I feel like, ‘But you don’t really need a younger person for this role.’ Yet they still want to go younger. It doesn’t really happen the same way with men. Of course, we can all see that. But yes, ageism is a big thing.”
The South Indian Double Standard
Taapsee, who has worked extensively in South Indian cinema, also revealed a bizarre double standard she faced there. She shared that being cast opposite a senior male actor often made younger actors wary of working with her. “Even in the South, it used to happen with me. The moment I was cast opposite a relatively senior actor, the younger actors didn’t want to work with me. They were like, ‘Oh no, she’s been opposite that actor, so now…’ You dare say that about Shah Rukh Khan. You know, an actress’s life changes after working with Shah Rukh Khan. So that taboo is not here, but that taboo was there for me when I worked in the South.”
The actress suggested that such double standards continue to shape the careers of women in ways that their male counterparts seldom experience. While a leading man’s value only increases with age and experience, actresses are often seen as past their prime the moment they hit 30.
Body Image and What’s Next for Taapsee
Beyond ageism, Taapsee also touched on body image and fitness, cautioning against excessive exercise. “So instead of actually losing water retention, the body starts retaining it and then that lower belly fat, which might actually not just be fat, it’s also water retention, it stays, and it increases by overworking out, which I really believe people should not do.”
On the professional front, Taapsee is gearing up for the release of Gandhi, a Netflix original directed by Devashish Makhija and penned by Kanika Dhillon. She was last seen in Assi.