Shwetha Srivatsav: If there are 50 films being made for men, we need 50 for women too | Bengaluru - Hindustan Times
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Shwetha Srivatsav: If there are 50 films being made for men, we need 50 for women too

By, Bengaluru
Mar 13, 2021 04:37 PM IST

Actor Shwetha Srivatsav says Kannad cinema had great stories for women in the ’80s and 90s and that needs a revival.

It’s time for Shweta Srivatsav’s fans to rejoice. The Kannad film actor, who has been away on maternity leave since she gave birth to her daughter, Ashmitha, in 2017, is coming back to the silver screen with Hope, a film being produced by snooker player Varsha Sanjeev. “The film was offered to me and shot during the lockdown. We shot it in just 34 days and I’ll be dubbing for it in May. It revolves around administrative and legal issues, as well as political corruption,” says Shwetha. About her sabbatical from cinema, she says that staying away was a conscious decision. “I’ve been busy enjoying motherhood. Plus, visual media is such that you have to be a ceratin way physically to be in front of the camera. At that time, I was feeding my baby and it wouldn’t have been fair either to her or even the producer,” says the actor, adding that “networking is key in the industry”. “These things matter, but I am very bad at it. I suck at PR,” she laughs. Well, does she think her peers are good at PR. “I don’t know, I’m not in touch with anybody. I’ll just say that if an artist is growing, we should be happy for them. This planet needs creative people.”

Shwetha Srivatsav.
Shwetha Srivatsav.

And creativity was the reason the Mukha Mukhi (2006) actor took up Hope. “It is such a good film, and a creative concept... maybe my daughter brought in luck,” she smiles, adding that she was “petrified” to go to work, leaving her behind. “Particularly on days that I had a double call sheet, I would miss my daughter so much, but I could do justice in front of the camera. Thankfully, my parents live right below my house. So, they took care of her. My husband is an angel. He is an amazing father, and I think that’s what women empowerment is about; parenthood has to be shared!”

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Up next, the actor says she’s being choosy because she wants to work in films that are “for women and about women”. “If there are 50 films being made for men, we need 50 for women. Only then the mindset will change. It’s a sad state of affairs right now. If you see, in the ‘70s and ‘80s there were amazing films being made for women. That disappeared, and from 2000 onwards, you don’t see that. That needs to change,” she says.

Author tweets @mmiinniii

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Neha Sharma writes on Bollywood and television, for the daily Entertainment & Lifestyle supplement, HT City

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