Despite some progress in OTT and smaller films, big-budget films still prioritize male leads, says Konkona Sen Sharma. After 25 years in the industry, she believes important roles for women are still limited. She credits streaming platforms for the change and is currently promoting her upcoming series Welcome to Khoya Mahal.
Konkona Sen Sharma is among the most versatile actresses in the film industry, with several acclaimed films to her credit, including Anurag Basu’s Metro…in Dino. Known for choosing roles that highlight her range and avoiding stereotypical writing, Konkona has consistently carved out a unique space for herself.
After 25 years in the industry, the actress said it has never gotten easier for women to get more substantial roles.
Konkona Sen Sharma says big films still favor male heroes
Reflecting on whether the industry has changed over the past 25 years, Konkona said in an interview with News18: “In some ways, I think, to some extent, maybe in smaller budget films or OTT films, to some extent, yes. But if you follow the money (laughs), you will see that bigger films will inevitably have larger-than-life male heroes.”
She added that this trend is not a recent development but something that has continued over the years.
“I don’t think that’s necessarily a problem today, but I think it’s been that way for many years. Every year, you’ll find a bunch of interesting movies, movies that don’t follow trends or a formula, but those types of movies are few and far between.”
Konkona Sen Sharma talks about how OTT platforms are changing women’s roles
The actress credited streaming platforms and short films for opening up more substantial roles for actresses.
“To some extent, with streamers nowadays, there are some projects where you’ll have female cops and things like that, or you’ll have women in negative or complex roles. But you’ll mostly see older women in those kinds of roles, in general, with some exceptions,” she said.
Konkona Sen Sharma promotes Welcome to Khoya Mahal
Konkona is currently busy promoting her upcoming series Welcome to Khoya Mahal. The show, co-written by Konkona with Jaideep Sarkar, focuses on half-brothers Kanishk and Kanupriya, who are brought together due to a failed inheritance. The former royals are forced to run their family’s secluded heritage hotel, Khoya Mahal, and in their attempt to escape, they devise a reckless plan, unaware of the hidden secrets the hotel holds. The Prime Video series features Rachit Singh alongside Aditi Rao Hydari, Aparna Sen, Harish Khanna, Barun Sobti, guru Luka Adhikari, and
Dhruv Sehgal
.