Close X
Friday, November 1, 2024
ADVT 
Bollywood

Age No Bar: Showbiz Brings Senior Actors Back Into Spotlight in 2018

Darpan News Desk IANS, 24 Dec, 2018 08:08 AM

    Age and medium is no bar for talent -- and in 2018, Indian showbiz paved the way for senior actors to return to the limelight. Neena Gupta, 59, turned out to be the perfect example.


    Neena, who became a household name after portraying an iconic role in the 1990s TV show "Saans", was away from the screen for a long time. Last year, she took to social media to ask for work.


    "I live in Mumbai and am working. I'm a good actor looking for good parts to play," she wrote on Instagram, raising a pertinent question about the lack of screen space for older actors.


    But who would have known that the actress, who was asking for work till last year, would shine bright with films like "Mulk" and "Badhaai Ho". And that's how the fortunes turned.



    While Neena played a mother of two grown-up sons who accidentally gets pregnant, Surekha Sikri essayed a nagging but affable grandmother and Gajraj Rao was seen in the role of a caring husband and father.


    In an interview to IANS, Neena urged people from society and industry not to give heed to an actress' age. She hopes for more roles for women of age on-screen.


    "There are not many roles. I always say that, 'After a certain age, what is a woman's role? Taking care of the family and home. After that there is no role'. When the society will change, I think we would have more roles on-screen," she said.


    As for Surekha and Gajraj, they won the audience's heart with their funny and quirky performances in the film, which showed that for viewers what matters the most is good acting irrespective of an actor's age.


    Surekha made her debut in 1978 with political drama "Kissa Kursi Ka", and made a name for herself by working in films, theatre and television. After featuring in the "Balika Vadhu" TV show, she gained huge popularity as the stern Dadisa. Now, once again she has wooed her fans with her character of the nagging grandma in "Badhaai Ho".


    At 73, she does not want to settle down. She says she has no plan to slow down or retire.


    "Retirement? Hello, I don't even know that word. What does it mean? That's a very old-fashioned English concept... That you do something and then you retire - and mostly it applies to government servants. Fortunately, I am a freelancer and I don't have any wish or desire to retire. I can just go on and on," Surekha contended.


    Gajraj, who managed to make the audience fall in love with him, has earlier featured in movies like "Bandit Queen", "Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi" and "Talvar". But it was "Badhaai Ho" which brought him more visibility than ever. He is glad character actors are finally getting their due.


    "I think such change is coming in cinema because of the lead actors like Ayushmann, Varun Dhawan, Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Rajkummar Rao... They are secure enough to be part of films where they allow writers and directors to give space to the character actors.


    "There is no insecurity on things like the lead actor should have the best dialogues and all the footage in the film. Therefore, though these actors are crowd-pullers in the theatre, actors like us also finding our space," he said.


    The web space further opened up doors for older actors as Farida Jalal, Ashish Vidyarthi and Raza Murad.


    The year 2018 also saw another film titled "102 Not Out", which proved that "old is gold". It starred legendary actors Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor in pivotal roles.


    In the film Big B plays a 102-year-old man, father to a 75-year-old character played by Rishi. The film revolves around the father's aim of breaking the record for being the world's oldest person, a title held by a Chinese man. The duo's performance won praise from the audience.


    Not only in "102 Not out", both Rishi and Amitabh garnered love from their fans for their performances in movies like "Mulk" and "Thugs of Hindostan" respectively.


    "Thugs..." turned out to be a box office dud, but the stunts pulled off by Amitabh at the age of 76, projected how many senior actors can tell the youngsters, "Bbuddah... hoga terra baap".

    MORE Bollywood ARTICLES

    Rani Mukerji To Star In 'Mardaani 2'

    Rani Mukerji To Star In 'Mardaani 2'
    Actress Rani Mukerji, who was last seen on screen in "Hichki", will be starring in the second instalment of "Mardaani". She says the first part of the movie is very close to her heart and cannot wait to start filming "Mardaani 2".  

    Rani Mukerji To Star In 'Mardaani 2'

    Upset Over 'Ban' In Uttarakhand: 'Kedarnath' Director Abhishek Kapoor

    Upset Over 'Ban' In Uttarakhand: 'Kedarnath' Director Abhishek Kapoor
    It is very upsetting. How can they do this? When the government has cleared it, the whole country is watching it, how can they stop my film? Uttarakhand is an integral part of the country. What happens to my freedom of expression?

    Upset Over 'Ban' In Uttarakhand: 'Kedarnath' Director Abhishek Kapoor

    I'm Totally Fine: Shahid Kapoor On Health Rumours

    I'm Totally Fine: Shahid Kapoor On Health Rumours
    Actor Shahid Kapoor on Monday said he is totally fine, contrary to rumours that he is suffering from stomach cancer.

    I'm Totally Fine: Shahid Kapoor On Health Rumours

    I Feel More Free, Feminine In Saris: Kangana Ranaut

    I Feel More Free, Feminine In Saris: Kangana Ranaut
    Saris make me look feminine, says National Award winning actress Kangana Ranaut, who has been seen wearing and experimenting with the six-yard wonder quite often.

    I Feel More Free, Feminine In Saris: Kangana Ranaut

    Sara Ali Khan On Kedarnath Not Releasing In Uttarakhand: 'Disheartening, Don't Know How People Are Hurt'

    "It is very disheartening to not give back to them because they have given me so much. And that is the only real regret," said Sara Ali Khan

    Sara Ali Khan On Kedarnath Not Releasing In Uttarakhand: 'Disheartening, Don't Know How People Are Hurt'

    Hunger, Malnutrition Issues In India Can't Be Solved Overnight: Chef Vikas Khanna

    Hunger, Malnutrition Issues In India Can't Be Solved Overnight: Chef Vikas Khanna
    Also a filmmaker himself, Khanna is in support of the Quaker Feed a Child initiative, and he is happy to "raise awareness for this important and heart-wrenching issue". 

    Hunger, Malnutrition Issues In India Can't Be Solved Overnight: Chef Vikas Khanna