Bollywood Hungama

Kitu Gidwani labels Bollywood a fake industry; says, We dont want to play generic mother or maasi roles

Veteran actor Kitu Gidwani has hit out at the way Bollywood treats its artistes, calling it a fake industry that runs on its own vague rules. In a conversation with Screen, the actor spoke about royalties, intellectual property rights and the lack of substantial roles for older women. Bollywood is a cottage industry Gidwani, who has worked across film and television for more than four decades, compared Indias entertainment business unfavourably with the West, pointing out that there is no equivalent of Hollywoods Screen Actors Guild to protect performers. Bollywood is not a real industry, its a cottage industry. Its a fake industry, it goes by its own vague rules. There is nothing like Hollywoods Screen Actors Guild in India. I should have been able to work for 10 years and then live off my royalties for the next 10 years, not slog for 40 years, she said. She also flagged the near-total absence of intellectual property and creative rights for artistes in the country. Intellectual property rights and creative rights are zero in India. You dont have rights over your work. The producer gives you and the director a one-time fee, and then he can do what he wants with the property. Its not like that anywhere in the world, she said. On ageism in the industry Turning to the roles available to older actresses, Gidwani said women are too often reduced to playing mothers or aunts once they cross a certain age. My grouse against the industry is that older women are not getting powerful roles. We dont want to play the generic mother or maasi. We want to play good, enduring roles with sex, love, power, comedy, and action, she said. She was equally critical of television, pointing out that soap heroines are frequently aged into grandmother roles well before their time. In daily soaps, once a woman hits 30, she becomes a daadi. She has no signs of ageing on her face, but she gets such roles. This industry is very bizarre, she added. Gidwani began her career in 1984 with the film Holi, which also featured Aamir Khan, Ashutosh Gowariker and Om Puri, before rising to prominence with Doordarshans Air Hostess in 1986. She went on to headline Swabhimaan and Shaktimaan, besides films such as Dance of the Wind, Earth, Rukhmavati Ki Haveli, Fashion, Abhay, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, Dhobi Ghat and Deham. Also Read :Tanishaa Mukerjis style diary: From glittering gowns to graceful sarees