Mumbai, August 22, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Actress Manisha Koirala had once spoken candidly about the age disparity between male and female actors in Bollywood, questioning why older male stars continued to play romantic leads while actresses often faced restrictions after marriage.
During her appearance on veteran actress Simi Garewal’s chat show Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, Manisha highlighted what she saw as a major gender disparity in the film industry.
She pointed out that male actors could continue playing heroes even after becoming grandfathers, while female actors were often considered unsuitable for leading roles once they got married.
“It’s really sad, you know. I mean, we have actors who are grandfathers and are still working as a hero, but the moment an actress gets married, she’s tabooed from acting,” Manisha had said, while also questioning why actresses could not continue to work alongside 40-plus or 50-plus male leads.
She acknowledged that the film industry had many restrictions but expressed hope that attitudes would gradually change.
“I think a lot of restrictions are there in our industry, but with time I feel people will start fighting it,” she had said.
During the conversation, Garewal suggested that one reason for the disparity could be the way female characters were traditionally presented primarily as objects of desire for the male protagonist.
Manisha agreed that being desired was not inherently negative but argued that actresses should not be reduced solely to their appearance.
“It’s a great thing to be desired, but if they limit you only to that, then it’s a sad thing,” she had said.
She also placed some responsibility on women in the industry to challenge such perceptions by demonstrating their acting ability and ensuring that their talent and work remained the focus rather than their physical appearance.
Her comments highlighted the unequal expectations faced by male and female actors in an industry where age, marriage and perceptions of attractiveness have historically affected actresses’ opportunities differently from those of their male counterparts.
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