Mumbai: Actor Taapsee Pannu has opened up about the age-related discrimination she encountered in the film industry, recalling a time when she was told she was “too old” to star in a romantic comedy.
Questioning the double standards often applied to female actors, Taapsee pointed out that male stars rarely face similar scrutiny.
Citing Shah Rukh Khan as an example, she challenged the industry’s perception of age and romance, arguing that such comments are seldom directed at male actors, regardless of how old they are.
“I came into the Hindi film industry when I was in my mid-twenties, okay? Now, for three or four years, you’re struggling to get a decent role. By the time you make a mark, you’ve crossed 3
0. Then they say you’re not young enough to be featured in a rom-com,” Tapasee was quoted as saying by Times Entertainment.
“So even till date, there are so many times when I feel like, ‘But you don’t really need a younger person for this role.’ Yet they still want to go younger. It doesn’t really happen the same way with men. Of course, we can all see that. But yes, ageism is a big thing,” she reasoned.
While the South film industry is often praised for its work culture, Taapsee offered a contrasting perspective based on her personal experience.
“Even in the South, it used to happen with me. The moment I was cast opposite a relatively senior actor, the younger actors didn’t want to work with me. They were like, ‘Oh no, she’s been opposite that actor, so now…’ You dare say that about Shah Rukh Khan. You know, 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,” the actor said.
Taapsee recently chose to take a step back from the relentless pace of social media, focusing instead on life away from digital spotlight.
After maintaining a relatively low profile online for nearly a year, the actor has now returned to social platforms, albeit with some reservations about the pressures that come with being constantly visible.