The Hindi film industry has long faced criticism for treating men and women differently. The debate returned to focus after actor Ranveer Singh’s latest film Dhurandhar performed strongly at the box office. However, the film also drew backlash over his casting opposite 20-year-old actor Sara Arjun, despite Singh being 40.
Actor Shefali Shah says such casting choices reflect deep-rooted gender norms in the industry. She agrees that Bollywood applies very different standards to male and female actors, especially when it comes to age.
‘Hero Can Age, Heroine Cannot’
Shefali Shah, who once played the mother of Akshay Kumar — an actor older than her — in Waqt: The Race Against Time (2005), said age rules work unfairly against women.
“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. That is very important. She can't age. She has a shelf life,” she said.
She explained that she accepted an older role because acting means playing characters across ages and emotions.
“There I went and played a character which was much older than me and I did it because, as an actor the point of being an actor is to act out different people and portray different shades of a person. Age was just a part of it, but sadly, it doesn't work like that.”
Working Hours Debate Shows Double Standards
Shefali Shah also spoke about the controversy around fixed working hours for women in the film industry. She said gender plays a major role in how such demands are perceived.
“I know for a fact that there are a lot of male actors who choose to take those two to three months in summer off when their kids get their vacation time. They say we will not work for these many months which is great, as they know how to do the work and family balance. But nobody ever talks about that.”
She pointed out that the issue became controversial only because a woman raised it.
“Suddenly it has become a big deal because a woman said that I want to have certain work hours.”
‘Why Is It Even a Conversation?’
The Delhi Crime 3 actor said requests about work schedules should remain a personal choice, not a public debate.
“It's an individual's choice. It's an individual's request and requirement. Somebody may not agree with it, and nobody's putting a gun to anybody's head that you have to cast me and you have to do this.”
She added that the reaction would have been very different if a male actor had made the same demand.
“So why is it even a conversation? If a man would have said this, it wouldn't even have come out.”
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Why This Matters
Shefali Shah’s remarks highlight how age, gender, and work-life balance continue to affect women more harshly in Bollywood. While male actors enjoy flexibility and longevity, female actors still face narrow age brackets and heavier scrutiny.