Film industry male dominated but there’s change Raveena Tandon at ‘Mann Ki Baat 100’ conclave

New Delhi, Apr 26 (PTI) Women in the Hindi film industry, in front of and behind the camera, have broken the “glass ceiling” and entered every male stronghold, actress Raveena Tandon said during a panel on Wednesday. National Conference on Mann Ki Baat @100′.
Tandon, a star of Hindi cinema in the 1990s and early 2000s, said the film industry should learn from sister media TV and OTT (over-the-top) platforms, which are leaders in paying women better and producing shows with female leads respectively. , she said.
“We talk about wage inequality, but today in the television industry, women are paid more than their men, which is a big thing because of the work they do and women rule in our TV industry. In OTT, on the platforms, the protagonists are mostly women, women’s issues are discussed.
“In film, we are moving slowly but surely because it has been a male-dominated field since the beginning, but there is definitely a change. Our women have broken the glass ceiling and we have entered every male stronghold…,” the 48-year-old actor, here at ‘Nari Shakti’, said. He addressed the session.
Tandon said issues of representation and pay inequality still plague the industry, but with more women in top positions, change is coming.
“… In today’s world, there has been a change as all the top positions like cinematographers, choreographers, directors, producers, platform heads and channel heads are held by women.
“So the opportunities we have to get, we get them. A woman leads the production of something, she understands the issues, she understands the sensitivity, she has sensitivity, so we get more opportunities,” said the Padma Shri awardee. said.
Tandon, who is known for films like “Marbiya”, “Daman”, “Maathr” and the web series “Aranyak”, said actors in Hindi cinema would “struggle” to break their image in the 90s.
“There has been a lot of change in the film industry which was not there in the ’90s. You get stereotyped for playing a certain character,” he said.
The actor, who won the National Film Award for her portrayal of a rape victim in the 2001 film “Taman”, said her filmography is a reflection of the social causes she supports.
Tandon said issues like domestic violence and marital rape were brushed under the carpet and she struggled a lot while releasing a story like Kalpana Lajmi-directed “Taman”.
“I didn’t get any reception at that time and faced a lot of struggles, but the film won the National Film Award and was timely because it was an anti-era film. 23 years later, we are still discussing (Marital Rape) even today.”
The actor also congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prasar Bharti on the 100th episode of his monthly radio show ‘Mann Ki Baat’ which will be aired on April 30.
Calling ‘Mann Ki Baat’ a “genius idea” to connect with Indians through radio, Tandon said the Prime Minister’s initiative focuses on the country’s unsung heroes, whose efforts are often not reported in the mainstream media.
“The grassroots of our society, which is home to many heroes…many have made changes according to the resources available to them at the local level. Don’t read in the newspapers.
“But Sir (Modi) brings these heroes to the forefront and inspires the country through this mass exposure… His one-on-one interaction with people, I feel like he is telling your story. He has been so successful through this medium that he has touched the hearts of everyone in the country,” he added.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar on Wednesday inaugurated the one-day national conference ‘Mann Ki Baat @100’ with Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur as the guest of honour.