Sonakshi Sinha speaks up against ageism in Bollywood, "women bear the brunt"

Sonakshi Sinha has called out Bollywood's entrenched culture of ageism, highlighting the double standards faced by women in the industry.

In a recent interview, the actress pointed out that while women are often pressured to maintain a specific appearance, male actors face no such scrutiny.

“It’s very clear that the same kind of expectations don’t apply to men,” Sonakshi said. “They aren’t criticised for romancing women 30 years younger, or for their physical imperfections like bellies or thinning hair. But women have to endure this. I’ve even dealt with older actors claiming, ‘Oh, she looks older than us.’”

The actress recently participated in a round table conference with stars like Taapsee Pannu, Konkona Sen Sharma, Manisha Koirala, Richa Chadha, and others.

During the discussion, she expressed gratitude for not having to work with individuals who perpetuate such bias. “At the end of the day, we’re all artists. For women, navigating the industry shouldn’t be such an uphill battle compared to men,” she said.

Sonakshi has consistently been vocal about gender biases in the industry. Recently, she responded to criticism from veteran actor Mukesh Khanna, who took a jibe at her for struggling to answer a Ramayana-related question on Kaun Banega Crorepati in 2019. Mukesh Khanna even questioned her upbringing, drawing sharp reactions from the actress.

Sonakshi made her Bollywood debut in 2010 with Dabangg, starring opposite Salman Khan. She was last seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Netflix series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, a historical drama that explores women’s lives in pre-Independence India.