Actress Taapsee Pannu has long been vocal about the challenges faced by women in the film industry. Over the years, she has spoken openly about issues such as pay disparity, unequal opportunities and the limited shelf life often imposed on actresses in both Bollywood and the South Indian film industry. In a recent interview, the actress once again addressed the issue of ageism and how it continues to affect women in cinema.
Speaking to Times Entertainment, Taapsee pointed out that actresses are often considered unsuitable for certain roles once they cross their 30s, even when age has little relevance to the character being portrayed.
According to the actress, many women spend years building their careers and establishing themselves in the industry, only to be told later that they are no longer young enough for certain genres, particularly romantic comedies. She noted that despite feeling a role does not necessarily require a younger performer, filmmakers often continue to favour younger actresses. Taapsee added that such biases are rarely applied to male actors in the same way, making ageism a persistent issue in the entertainment business.
The actress also reflected on her experiences in the South film industry, revealing that she encountered a different kind of stigma there. She explained that after being paired opposite relatively senior actors, younger male actors were often hesitant to work with her. According to Taapsee, there was a perception that once an actress had been cast alongside an older star, she was no longer considered suitable to be paired opposite younger heroes.
Drawing a comparison with Bollywood, she remarked that such attitudes are not applied to male superstars. She cited Shah Rukh Khan as an example, noting that actresses’ careers are often seen as benefiting from working alongside him, whereas similar opportunities did not always translate positively for her in the South industry. She said that while this particular taboo may not exist in Hindi cinema, she personally experienced it during her time working in southern films.
Taapsee’s comments have once again sparked conversations around gender biases and age-related stereotypes that continue to exist within the entertainment industry.
On the work front, the actress was last seen in director Anubhav Sinha‘s Assi, alongside Kani Kusruti, Revathy, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub. She will next be seen in the upcoming projects Woh Ladki Hai Kahaan and Gandhari.