Close X
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
ADVT 
Bollywood

Ambition Still A Negative Word When Applied To A Woman: Actor Richa Chadha

IANS, 05 May, 2016 01:28 PM
  • Ambition Still A Negative Word When Applied To A Woman: Actor Richa Chadha
Bollywood seems to be caught up in a kind of gender war. Actresses are raising their voices against pay disparities, the prevalent patriarchy and the difficult route to success for women in showbiz.
 
And, as actress Richa Chadha says, the word "ambition" still has negative connotations when used for women, although she herself doesn't pay heed to "labels given by men or women".
 
Richa has established a permanent place in Bollywood through non-conventional roles from portraying a hot-headed don in "Fukrey" to a small-town girl fighting taboos around sex in "Masaan". Now, she has gone behind the camera to produce a Punjabi short film "Khoon Aali Chithi" -- based on terrorism the Khalistan movement spawned in the 1980s and early 1990s.
 
She is positive about the transition from actor to producer.
 
"I don't care how people react to it, because I don't see it as anything other than positive. I think the prevalent gender stereotype is ambition, still a bad word when it's applied to a woman, and a great quality when it's an adjective for a man. I don't care about labels given by men or women actually," Richa told IANS in an email interview.
 
After Priyanka Chopra and Anushka Sharma decided to get into the filmmaking business, Richa has hopped onto the bandwagon.
 
What drew her to film production? Richa, who forayed into Bollywood with "Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!" in 2008, was quick to point out: "Why is the question specific to actresses? What draws an actor to production draws an actress to production."
 
 
 
"It's not a desire specific to gender. I'd like to be able to say what I want, through the content I support," she added.
 
Talking about her production, the actress said: "It is a short film that my friend Rupinder Singh brought to me. It's set in the late 1980s and early 1990s in a small village in Punjab where common people got caught in the crossfire between Khalistanis and the state. It moved me since I have a personal association with that. Also, it felt like the right thing to do support this film."
 
Richa, who is known for gravitating to content-driven cinema, asserted: "My name may not carry weight, but I know it carries credibility and I wanted to use that to spread the word about this short film." 
 
The actress, who wants to back "interesting" projects as a producer, is a bag of nerves over the project, but is confident that she will improve with each production.
 
"This is my first experience as a producer/presenter. It is very different from acting, because as an actor, you primarily only care about your job," she said.
 
"I am sure I will learn about the challenges as I move on to bigger projects. This one was smooth. But because it's my first time, I am trying to figure out how to submit this short to as many festivals as possible."
 
 
It is not only production projects that are keeping Richa -- who has used her rustic charm to win hearts in movies like "Gangs of Wasseypur" and "Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela" -- occupied. She is busy with Omung Kumar directed "Sarbjit", which also stars Randeep Hooda and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan; and "Cabaret", where she is playing a dancer. And the actress says she is excited about all her upcoming projects.

MORE Bollywood ARTICLES

Priyanka Chopra Celebrates Five Million Instagram Followers

Bollywood actress Priyanka chopra has garnered five-million followers on the photo-sharing website Instagram.

Priyanka Chopra Celebrates Five Million Instagram Followers

'Bajirao Mastani' gets five nominations at 10th Asian Film Awards

'Bajirao Mastani' gets five nominations at 10th Asian Film Awards
Besides getting nominated for the Best Film category, "Bajirao Mastani" has also earned nominations for Best Costume Design, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Music and Best Editing. 

'Bajirao Mastani' gets five nominations at 10th Asian Film Awards

Oscars Have Bigger Controversies: Anil Kapoor

Actor Anil Kapoor has defended the controversies that surround award shows in Bollywood, saying even the Oscars have its share of controversies, which are sometimes even bigger.

Oscars Have Bigger Controversies: Anil Kapoor

Shahid Kapoor, Karan Johar to host 'Zee Cine Awards 2016'

Actor Shahid Kapoor, who is all set to host 'Zee Cine Awards 2016' with film maker Karan Johar, assures that they will not use any vulgar language on the dais.

Shahid Kapoor, Karan Johar to host 'Zee Cine Awards 2016'

'Aligarh' brave film by brave filmmaker: Mahesh Bhatt

National Award-winning filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has praised as a "brave film" Hansal Mehta's "Aligarh", which addresses homosexuality.

'Aligarh' brave film by brave filmmaker: Mahesh Bhatt

Wasn't very happy with 'Aaj phir jeene ki...': Lata

Wasn't very happy with 'Aaj phir jeene ki...': Lata
Lata, 86, shared the information on Waheeda Rehman's 78th birthday, which was on Wednesday.

Wasn't very happy with 'Aaj phir jeene ki...': Lata