"Even the word 'Mardaani' is derived from the word 'mard' (men). The word which is a description of male valour and strength. Why can't we have an independent word for female valour? This is something which I feel needs debate and consideration," Bachchan questioned during a speech on the role of women in Indian cinema.
He said this while talking about actor Rani Mukherjee's 2014 film "Mardaani" in which she palys a brave and honest woman cop who unearths a human trafficking racket.
The "Sarkar" actor praised West Bengal and Kerala for leading the way in educating the girl child.
"The most revered in Bengal is Goddess Durga who is a woman," he said, adding how his wife Jaya Bachchan exclaims 'O Ma' or 'E Ma' whenever anything big happens.
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"It is wonderful how you associate the mother with this," Bachchan said while mentioning that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has named a flyover as 'Ma' in Kolkata.
He also raised the issue of female sexual harassment which was raised in his film "Pink", saying it brought the issues of sexual violence and sexual consent into urban middle class homes.