Writers need to write stronger roles for older women, says Surekha Sikri
After becoming popular with her role as the matriarch in the TV show, Balika Vadhu (BV), Surekha Sikri is once again playing a granny in the upcoming film, Badhaai Ho. “There are all kinds of grannies in the world. My role in the film is an interesting and important one. I really loved playing it. Badhaai Ho is a sweet story about an older couple getting pregnant and I think society shouldn’t judge such couples,” says the veteran actor.
Sikri has a huge body of work, and she has also won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress in Tamas (1988) and later for Mammo (1995). But her role as dadisa in BV stood out in recent times. Talking about her TV career, she says, “BV was good while it lasted and I enjoyed working in the show. Television usually doesn’t have good roles which last long but this show had a fantastic role for me. I have always maintained that a good script will always work and that’s why Badhaai Ho’s script interested me as it is well written.”
Sikri has been busy doing TV shows for the last few years and returned to movies with Badhaai Ho. But the veteran actor feels the quality of work offered to her has not improved. “There is not much variety these days in terms of roles. Writers need to think out of the box and write stronger roles for older women. In movies, mothers and grannies are relegated to the background and that is because according to Indian film writers older woemna re not seen or heard as much. What I mean is in our society and workplace, women have hardly been in the forefront, so perhaps the writers can’t identify them in strong roles as leaders. But if you look at older men, they have been in the forefront in society and the news. Having said that, I feel things are changing but very slowly as more and more women are becoming visible in society,” she says.