Neha Dhupia, a Bollywood performer, has previously spoken about having difficult chats during casting sessions. Reflecting on her own experiences, she described times in which she received comments about her weight as well as advice to reduce weight for particular roles, despite the fact that those roles had minimal screen time.
“When I joined the business, there was a stereotypical mold that women were supposed to fit into, and if you didn’t fit into that mold, then you were not good enough. Now that everyone is so diverse, casting is so real, but you know things still happen. I have been fired for both having a sharp face and not willing or wanting to lose 7 to 10 kg of a body that I thought was super fit in my definition.”
The actor continued, “When I was pregnant, I was fired from a show that I was on, and there was no news of that show being shot for the next 8 months. When I went and revealed to them that I was pregnant and told them that they were not shooting for 8 months, they just said no, we don’t want to work with you. I am talking about people who have said and done unreasonable things, but I am ok now, at that time, it bothers you.”
Neha explained that she knows the importance of physical modifications or specialised requirements for various parts, especially in action films where agility is essential. She was pleased, however, that the world has gotten more inclusive, allowing for a wider choice of actors with various characteristics and skills.
Neha and Gulshan Devaiah are working together on a new online series called Therapy Sherapy.
“When I joined the business, there was a stereotypical mold that women were supposed to fit into, and if you didn’t fit into that mold, then you were not good enough. Now that everyone is so diverse, casting is so real, but you know things still happen. I have been fired for both having a sharp face and not willing or wanting to lose 7 to 10 kg of a body that I thought was super fit in my definition.”
The actor continued, “When I was pregnant, I was fired from a show that I was on, and there was no news of that show being shot for the next 8 months. When I went and revealed to them that I was pregnant and told them that they were not shooting for 8 months, they just said no, we don’t want to work with you. I am talking about people who have said and done unreasonable things, but I am ok now, at that time, it bothers you.”
Neha explained that she knows the importance of physical modifications or specialised requirements for various parts, especially in action films where agility is essential. She was pleased, however, that the world has gotten more inclusive, allowing for a wider choice of actors with various characteristics and skills.
Neha and Gulshan Devaiah are working together on a new online series called Therapy Sherapy.
