March 21, 2017
Actress Rani Mukerji, who turned 40 on Wednesday, says her 22-year
journey as a woman in showbiz has been about battling discriminatory stereotypes
constantly.
Rani, who is coming back to the big screen with "Hichki"
after four years, wrote a heartfelt letter for her birthday. Besides her own
journey, she highlighted the hiccups that other women actors face in the
industry.
"As a woman, I must admit, it has not been an easy journey. I
had to prove myself everyday. Actresses have to prove themselves everyday," said
Rani, who is married to producer Aditya Chopra and has a 2-year-old daughter
Adira with him.
She steered the content to gender disparity in the
industry and wrote about the preconceived notions that exist.
"A woman
has a short career span, a married woman's equity dies, women are not bankable
commodities at the box office, ‘female-centric' (I hate this word!!) films are
huge risks.
"A married actress who is also a mother is the final nail in
the coffin of her dreams, ambitions and aspirations - these are some of the
discriminatory stereotypes that we have to live with and try to overcome every
single day.
"For a woman, the disparity with a man is huge and glaring in
this industry."
Rani also commented how women are always under the
scanner.
"We are judged for our looks, our dancing skills, our height,
our voice, our acting, how we carry ourselves every time we step out of the
house - we have to be the best and yet we are thought to be extremely
dispensable.
"I have been asking my friends to talk about their
weaknesses and how they overcame them. On my birthday, I cannot skirt these
massive 'hichkis' that my fellow actresses and I have faced/face and will face
every day," she said.
Her own way to take on "this sexist stereotype" is
by coming back to acting after my marriage and motherhood.
"I promise
you, I will continue working and battling these stereotypes with all my fellow
stunning, beautiful, kind and talented actresses and hope to see our society and
the film industry mature further," she said.
Rani acknowledged that
change is setting in.
"I can already see the changes for the better and
it fills me with joy. It makes my journey, my career meaningful. I want to see
many more victories for all of us. It's about time. I will be back soon - to try
and entertain you, to push the envelope again."