Bollywood doesn’t have healthy space in films for women-bonding stories

Actor Richa Chadha has regularly been a part of films that break away from stereotypical ideologies, playing unconventional roles, but she feels that the mainstream film industry takes up certain themes only after they become popular trends worldwide. “Bollywood responds to change, a bit late. When something cool starts happening in the world, we decide that we should make a film on it,” says Richa. The 30-year old actor, who has been part of films such as Masaan (2015) and Sarbjit (2016), will soon be seen in a film which revolves around two girls on a road trip to Sweden. She asserts that when Bollywood takes up a topic, it has a certain impact on the mind of the audience. “A film might not always have a message, but it does have some kind of impact on people. A film like mine (Jia Aur Jia) tries to normalise the idea of girls bonding and travelling together. I think people should be allowed to mingle without any pressure from parents, spouses or in-laws,” she feels. The actor also believes that films about female bonding are important for the audience, especially since there is a dearth of such cinema in the mainstream industry. Interestingly, 2017 can be said to be the year of films with female protagonists, with more such films lined up this year. “We have seen a lot of films such as Dil Chahta Hai and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, which are centred around male bonding. There is hardly anything for girls. Its either a love triangle, or being catty. It’s just not a healthy space in films for women-bonding stories,” she feels.

PHOTO: YOGEN SHAH Richa Chadha, who has experimented with her choice of roles, feels that Bollywood takes up trends only when they get popular