‘You Dare Say That About SRK’: Taapsee Pannu Opens Up On Being Labelled ‘Too Old’ For Rom-Coms

Taapsee Pannu has spoken about facing ageism in Bollywood and South cinema, revealing how actresses are often considered too old for certain roles after turning 30 while male stars continue to thrive.

Taapsee Pannu has opened up about the age-related bias she encountered in Bollywood and South cinema.

Source : X/@TheDudeFellow

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Actress Taapsee Pannu revealed widespread ageism impacting female careers.
• Actresses face judgment, limited roles past 30 in Bollywood.
• South cinema also saw younger actors avoid pairing her.

Conversations around gender inequalit in the film industry have focused on pay gaps and representation. Yet another issue continues to shadow the careers of many actresses, ageism. Actor Taapsee Pannu has now spoken candidly about the challenges she faced as she navigated both Bollywood and the South film industries, revealing how women are often judged far more harshly than men when it comes to age.

‘By The Time You Make A Mark, You’ve Crossed 30’

During a conversation with Times Entertainment, Taapsee talked about the difficult path many actresses must travel before securing good opportunities. Entering Hindi cinema in her mid-twenties, she spent several years trying to find roles that would allow her to establish herself.

Recalling those years, she said, "By the time you make a mark, you’ve crossed 30. Then they say you’re not young enough to be featured in a rom-com. So even till date, there are so many times when I feel like, ‘But you don’t really need a younger person for this role.’ Yet they still want to go younger. It doesn’t really happen the same way with men. Of course, we can all see that. But yes, ageism is a big thing."

Taapsee Recalls Similar Experiences In South Cinema

The actor also revealed that age-related perceptions affected her career in the South film industry. According to Taapsee, being paired with senior male stars sometimes influenced how younger actors viewed her suitability as a co-star.

Speaking about those experiences, she said, "Even in the South, it used to happen with me. The moment I was cast opposite a relatively senior actor, the younger actors didn’t want to work with me. They were like, ‘Oh no, she’s been opposite that actor, so now…’ You dare say that about Shah Rukh Khan. You know, an actress’s life changes after working with Shah Rukh Khan. So that taboo is not here, but that taboo was there for me when I worked in the South."

What’s Next For Taapsee Pannu?

On the work front, Taapsee was last seen in Anubhav Sinha’s legal drama Assi, where she portrayed a lawyer seeking justice for a rape survivor. The film featured performances from Kani Kusruti, Revathy, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub.

Taapsee is now preparing for the release of Gandhari, a Netflix original directed by Devashish Makhija and written by Kanika Dhillon.

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