'Ikka' actress Tillotama Shome questions gender bias over women-led films
Mumbai, July 19
Actress Tillotama Shome, who was recently seen in the Sunny Deol starrer "Ikka," has opened up about the ongoing debate around women-led films.
Speaking exclusively to IANS, she questioned the gender bias often associated with their box office performance. Tillotama highlighted that the success or failure of a film should be judged on the project itself rather than being linked to the gender of its lead actor. Speaking about why women-centric films are often scrutinized when they do not perform well commercially, Tillotama questioned why the same level of discussion is not applied to male-led films that fail at the box office.
When asked why women-centric films are often questioned for their box office performance despite the rise of women-led stories on OTT platforms, Tillotama Shome questioned the double standards and said, "Why don't we ask men the same thing?"
Tillotama said, "Many male-led films also fail at the box office, yet male actors are rarely questioned about whether films led by men are working. On the other hand, if one women-led film underperforms, it immediately becomes a discussion about whether women-centric cinema works. There have been successful films led by actresses like Kangana Ranaut, Taapsee Pannu, Vidya Balan, and Alia Bhatt, just as there have been unsuccessful films starring male actors. Success and failure belong to films, not to gender."
"Even our language reflects this bias. We constantly say 'female director,' 'female producer,' or 'female actor.' Why not simply say director, producer, or actor? In many countries, actors are simply called actors regardless of gender. Women make up half the population. We shouldn't be treated as an exception. When a film fails, it is the responsibility of everyone involved - the filmmaker, the actors, and the audience - not an entire gender," she added.
In "Ikka," directed by Imtiaz Ali, Tillotama Shome essayed the role of Madhura Banerjee, a determined public prosecutor who faces off against Sunny Deol's character, Arjun Mehra, a defense attorney, in the courtroom drama. Directed and produced by Siddharth P. Malhotra, the crime thriller premiered on Netflix on 10 July.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Well said, Tillotama! The Indian film industry needs to stop treating women-led films as some kind of experiment. Films like "Kahaani," "Queen," and "Piku" proved that audiences will embrace strong female leads if the story is good. It's not about gender - it's about content. And OTT platforms have shown that women-led stories can be commercially successful globally. This double standard is just an excuse to not take female-driven narratives seriously.
Tillotama Shome is absolutely right. The language we use reflects our unconscious bias. Calling someone a "female actor" or "female director" immediately makes it sound like they're a subset of the profession rather than a full-fledged professional. In Hollywood, they just say "actor" for everyone - Meryl Streep is an actor, Ryan Gosling is an actor. Indian cinema needs to normalize this too. It's 2024, for crying out loud!
I see her point but respectfully disagree to some extent. The term "women-centric" exists because historically, most films were male-centric. It's a descriptive term, not necessarily discriminatory. But yes, the scrutiny on box office performance of women-led films is unfair. We should judge each film on its merits. That said, I'd rather focus on how amazing Tillotama was in "Ikka" - she held her own against Sunny Deol in that courtroom scene. Brilliant actress!
Loved her performance in "Ikka"! And she is so right about this double standard. I remember when "Thappad" or "Piku" didn't do blockbuster numbers, everyone started questioning "women-centric cinema." But when "Radhe" or "Heropanti 2" flopped, nobody said "male-centric cinema isn't working." It's about the film's quality, not the actor's gender. And yes, drop the "
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.