Ageism remains a persistent challenge for female actors in the film industry. While male stars headline romantic and commercial films well into their later years, actresses often find their opportunities shrinking once they cross a certain age. Actor Taapsee Pannu recently opened up about this disparity, recalling how she faced ageism in both Bollywood and South.
She reflected on how she has often found herself being considered 'late' for certain kinds of roles, particularly romantic comedies. '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,' she said.
Taapsee shared that she faced ageism in the South as well, where younger actors didn't want to work with her after she was cast opposite a senior actor. 'You dare say that about Shah Rukh Khan,' she said. '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.'
After facing 'an extreme amount of beating and burning out,' Taapsee decided to accept the fact and do roles that she would enjoy at her age. She was last seen in Anubhav Sinha's legal drama, Assi, which received critical acclaim but underperformed at the box office.
