Actor Mahima Chaudhry, who made her Bollywood debut with Pardes, has made explosive revelations about what women had to endure in the Indian film industry during the time when she was actively pursuing her acting career.
Divulging sordid details of the inner workings of Bollywood in her interview with the Hindustan Times, Mahima said, “The minute you started dating someone, people would write you off because they only wanted a virgin who had not kissed. If you were dating someone, it was like, ‘Oh! She’s dating!’. If you were married, then forget it, you career was over, and if you had a child, it was like absolutely over.”
However, Mahima Chaudhry acknowledged that the Indian Film industry has changed dramatically since then for female actors. She reckons women are now in a better position than they were a decade or so ago and did not have to submit themselves to the demands of others.
“I think the industry is getting to a position where female actors are also calling the shots. They are getting better roles to play, better pay, endorsements, they’re in a great and much powerful position. They have a longer shelf life than before,” she said.
Mahima also spoke about how the audience has been supportive of the rise of female actors to the position where they currently are. The actor, which was also known for her role in the movie ‘Dhadkan’, said people are accepting female actors in different kinds of roles these days. She said earlier actors had to hide their personal lives from the oppressive glare of media but now, they can continue with their daily lives business as usual with media analysing their personal and professional lives threadbare.
“Now, people are accepting women in different kinds of roles, even romantic ones post them becoming a mother or wife. Their personal life is now celebrated. Even men used to hide their personal lives in the past. But now all of that has changed,” Mahima asserted.
Mahima started her Bollywood career with the movie ‘Pardes’ in the year 1997. ‘Pardes’ also featured Shah Rukh Khan and Apurva Agnihotri in the lead roles. The movie was directed by Subhash Ghani and was a huge hit.
Mahima married Bobby Mukherji in the year 2006 and gave birth to a daughter in 2007. The couple, however, got divorced in 2013.
