'We are not papaya that will get stale': Huma Qureshi slams Bollywood ageism
Huma Qureshi has blasted the ageism faced by Bollywood actresses, and insisted they become better as they get older.
Huma Qureshi has blasted the ageism faced by Bollywood actresses.
The 36-year-old beauty insisted there is more to women than being "pretty and hot" and urged her fellow screen stars to take themselves seriously and spread the message that they will "become better as [they] age".
She fumed to Mid-Day.com: “Actresses are made to feel relevant only if they are pretty and hot. We are not papaya that will get stale and have no value.
"We are artistes who will become better as we age. That’s the story we need to put out.
"You have to be taken seriously, and you should take yourself seriously."
And Huma thinks her latest film, 'Tarla' - in which she plays famed late chef Tarla Dalal - makes a refreshing change for Hindi cinema because it is centred around a character in their 30s.
She said: “Through pop culture, we have [pushed] this young adult obsession where it seems by the time you are 30, you have no value. It’s so unhealthy. What about the rest of your life?
"Today, an 18-year-old is giving skincare tutorials! Turn 50 and then let’s see what you know about skincare."
The actress thinks the movie tells an important story for women, believing the essence of the film is perfectly captured in the line, "You can cook, but you don’t have to be confined to the kitchen”.
She said: “It’s important to tell this story because this is what has happened to our mothers and grandmothers. They were pushed into getting married and having children.
"When their kids went to college, they suddenly realised, ‘Now, nobody needs me.’ I have seen my mom and aunts [feel this]. Some of them opened salons, others tried their hand at jewellery business.
“There is a generation of women that started their lives again in middle age. That needs to be celebrated."
