Women's Day Special: How Pankhuri Awasthy sees women in cinema today?

Pankhuri Awasthy Image Courtesy: PR

Given today is a very special day, the Women's Day, actors and actresses are talking about their role in shaping up the society, cinema, and even a lot of people's lives. And one of them is the Shubh Mangal Zyaada Savdhan actor Pankhuri Awasthy, who, in an exclusive interaction with Mid-day, has spoken about the changing role of women in cinema and how their characters are evolving.

The actress who has experienced the best of both the worlds, is happy to see a drastic change for the positive in women's roles on screen today, which she feels is influencing content in the right way. She says, "Times are changing now, and so is the content on the screen that we are watching on a daily basis. I feel that our cinema, tv, web is a reflection of what goes on in society at a current point of time. Television has always been women-centric, but the portrayal has changed, the context has changed."

She adds, "The characters that women are portraying in films, web, and television are much stronger and powerful than they used to be. 'Woman' is no longer being hidden in the shadows of man, but is now defining a storyline of her own." She quotes examples of the latest pieces of work that have made an attempt for their empowerment.

"With films like Thappad which talk about a very relevant topic for women today, the whole idea of a woman's strength and courage has been highlighted very well. Even speaking about the current television scenario, women are no longer shown as part of only kitchen politics but are now being wholly represented. I feel content these days is questioning the gender roles that have been imposed on our society and are believed to be true," she says.

She continues, "Even with Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, it challenges the patriarchal society and also that only marriage does not define a woman. Even the shows that I've done, whether it be the only woman ruler Razia Sultan, or Draupadi or even Amala in Kya Qusoor Hai Amala Ka are all very very strong women characters, fighting for themselves and for what's right."

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