The jubilee stars are Tanuja and Asha Parekh. In the industry, each actress carved out a distinct niche. While Tanuja is well-known for films such as “Anubhav,” “Do Chor,” and “Mere Jeevan Sathi,” among others, Parekh is still revered for classics like “Teesri Manzil,” “Caravan,” and other titles. In a recent interview with Maitri: Female First Collective, both actresses discussed their professional backgrounds, obstacles women have faced in the industry both historically and currently, and much more.
Asha Parekh continued, “In those days, women felt as though their careers were over once they got married. It is not true today. The fact that the hero is working with 20-year-olds despite being 50 or 55 years old is still acceptable today.
While male performers like Amitabh Bachchan continue to receive significant roles, Parekh drew attention to the reality that no fresh material is being created for the female stars. “Today, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, people are writing roles for him at this age as well,” she stated. Why aren’t we getting roles written for us? Additionally, we ought to be cast in a few crucial roles for the movie. That is absent. Either we’re pretending to be mum or sister. Who is intrigued? And Tanuja said, “Or now we’re given grandmother roles.”
The actors also discussed the absence of basic conveniences when they first began their careers in film as young women. “At the time, we were very reluctant to mention the lack of restrooms. Modern studios were terrible because there was only one bathroom for the entire building. From daylight to night, we would remain seated without using the loo. Every location should prioritise sanitation.
“Today women can say, we don’t have enough bathrooms, we could say that,” Tanuja continued. We were trained to be silent, and that’s how we were to act. “Now that we have vanity vans, it’s not a problem even if there are 15 girls in the crew today,” said Parekh. But at that time, we lacked enough restrooms.
The former actresses further admitted, “Payment has always been an issue, both in the past and currently. Men have traditionally been in greater positions. Even Hollywood has failed to get it off.
Asha Parekh most recently received the esteemed Dadasaheb Phalke award. Tanuja was most recently spotted in “Modern Love Mumbai.”
