Bollywood male bias

FREEZE FRAME

Female actors here always play second fiddle to the male lead. Why?

Millions may have swooned over a Madhubala, Sadhana, Hema Malini, Madhuri or Rani. Yet, it is a Dilip Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan or Shahrukh Khan who has set the business rules in Bollywood.

For over a 100 years, the Indian film Industry has an unexplained bias towards male stars. It is only the hero who determines at what price the film is sold. All other artistes, technicians, writers, composers merely embellish the film.

When a 'proposal' is being made or a story discussed, the first consideration is always the male lead. You may get the reigning queen to star in your film but if you want a saleable proposition then better fix the leading man first. This phenomenon is not unique to Hindi films but also Tamil, Telegu, Bangla or other language films.

Sure there are woman-dominated films. However, they usually remain fringe experiments save a rare Mother India or Pakeezah. Why this political incorrectness prevails unchecked in 21st century is a question, which needs to be asked?

Over the years, film producers, distributors, exhibitors, financiers and male actors formed a dubious kind of club where entry was restricted. This club or cabal where sleaze and bonhomie often went together laid down the rules of the game-machismo and male superiority.

From its inception, Indian films have had mega female stars from Surraiya and Nargis to Ash and Kaajol besides some of the most admired actors of our times "� Meena Kumari, Nutan, Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi and Tabu. These exceptional women have had legions of fans and an abundance of acclaim. Yet, they have never been given the same importance or remuneration compared to their male counterparts.

In Hollywood, a Julia Roberts can be the highest paid star but in India none of the girls can ever match the fee of the men! A number of times, film-makers have tried to take a top female star with lesser actors hoping to create an exciting proposal.

Sometimes they have succeeded in making good films but most of the times they have had to struggle to get a successful release. In the west, women film-makers have had a better deal. In fact, some of the most successful film-makers of Indian origin abroad are women "� Meera Nair, Deepa Mehta and Gurinder Chadha. Of course, in Hollywood, the power list is full of women "� from Amy Pascal and Kathleen Kennedy to Jane Campion and Sophia Coppola "� besides the usual bevy of top female actors.

I am happy that filmmakers like Sai Paranjpe, Aparna Sen, Aruna Raje, Revati, Kalpana Lajmi, and Tanuja Chandra have stuck on in spite of the many obstacles. Women have the right to express their creativity and reach it out to as many people as possible "� even in a male-dominated world.

Sexual exploitation is not just about the casting couch but the denial of equal opportunities to talented women. Like in other professions where women have broken the glass ceiling, I'm sure they will soon break the male stranglehold in Bollywood.

Amit Khanna (The author is Chairman of Reliance Entertainment and the views expressed are his own)