Aahana Kumra: I’m indebted to big stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, they, in a way, run my kitchen

Actor Aahana Kumra says that in Hindi films, mostly heroine and mother parts are written for female actors and when someone writes a film on sportswomen or female cops, they end up repeating same actors for three such films.

Content with good opportunities she’s getting on the web, Aahana Kumra is hopeful that filmmakers will notice her capabilities and cast her in better parts. In Hindi films, she points out, not many character roles are written for women even today amid all the discussions around female fronted narratives.

After her last successful Bollywood venture Khuda Haafiz, actor Aahana Kumra will be seen in two web projects helmed by Rohan Sippy and Shaad Ali.

“Filmmakers really need to pay attention to the kind of roles female actors are playing on the web. How many strong female parts in films could you recall in the recent past? I take immense pride in saying that I’ve never repeated a character. I see so many heroines in films who keep repeating the same roles, and I do understand that they can’t turn around and say no because it’s a film at the end of the day,” says Kumra.

The Lipstick Under My Burkha (2018) actor adds that in Bollywood, till date, it’s mostly male actors who get to play different characters on screen.

“When it comes to us, there are mostly heroine and mother parts. And then, when they write a few films on sportswomen or female cops, they end up casting the same actress for three different sports films or cop dramas. I’ve always questioned this scarcity of parts for women,” she rues.

Kumra was last seen in action film Khuda Haafiz and she wonders “Why more such roles aren’t created?” Up next, she’d be seen in Rohan Sippy and Shaad Ali’s upcoming web projects.

All praise for the digital space, Kumra highlights how they’re creating varied roles for women. She adds that people enjoy performances, and don’t watch a show because of a certain star on the web.

“That’s why a show like Mirzapur is a hit and we could see brilliant performances by a Shriya (Pilgaonkar), Shweta (Tripathi). But, we can’t just blame filmmakers. Our audiences also need to change. Now they’re giving gaalis to Bollywood, but later they’ll turn around and watch the same stars. It’s a very muddled up space,” says Kumra.

The actor agrees that filmmakers would continue to make films that audience would watch. “That’s because they’ve to recover their cost and make profit. If big films aren’t made then small films won’t get funded. So, in a way, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar run my kitchen. Because of them, other small films will be made and I’ll get some roles in them. I’m indebted to these big stars,” she explains.

Reacting to the discussion around existing camps in Bollywood that doesn’t allow those not a part of them to function well, Kumra says she has never been a part of any. She goes on to point that in her career so far, she has done only one commercial film, Khuda Haafiz, rest are parallel cinema, short films, TV and web projects.

“I’ve not worked in these camps nor do I care much. Nobody invites me to big parties or screenings. I audition for everything. I’m grateful to everyone who gave me work. But yes, I’d also want to do commercials films,” she ends.

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Author tweets @Shreya_MJ