Lara Dutta on rude audience comments against 'credible' actors like her, Kajol, Rani Mukerji: ‘Ab buddhi lagne lagi hai’

In a recent interview, Lara Dutta talked about how the industry isn't kind to the female actors who are of her age.

Lara Dutta who made her OTT debut with Disney+ Hotstar's Hundred is gearing up for her third OTT outing with Kaun Banegi Shikharwati. In a recent interview, the 43-year-old actor has opened up about how the industry is not kind to female actors of her age.

Lara Dutta has been enjoying a second innings of her career.

Lara, who is all set to play the role of Rajkumari Devyani in Kaun Banegi Shikharwati, has talked about working in her 40s.“Honestly, as an actor, I feel age has liberated me. It’s finally cut me free from people’s expectations of wanting me to fill in the glamorous roles because I am the former Miss Universe. I feel coming in my 40s is the best time for me as an actor. Now, people are looking at my capabilities and talent. The kind of roles I am playing has depth. However, I’ll admit that the industry is not kind to you and it doesn’t allow women to age gracefully," she said in an interview to Firstpost.

She further talked about how people comment on female actors who are older and still working. She said: "You have credible actors like Kajol, Madhuri (Dixit), Rani (Mukerji), and in that matter, even me, yet when they come on screen, people pass comments like ‘ab buddhi lagne lagi hai (Now she has started looking old)’ or ‘yaar ab moti ho gai hai (She is fat now),’ and at the end of the day, you can’t help it. Like everyone else, even we are ageing. I feel even the audience does not allow the liberty for actors to age gracefully, but I genuinely believe that actors who have come before us are rewriting roles for us. Look at Neena Gupta, Ratna Pathak Shah, they just inspire us. They are doing incredible work.”

While Lara's OTT debut series Hundred featured her as a cop, her 2021 show Hiccups and Hookups saw her playing the role of a single mother navigating the world of dating. 

In her latest series Kaun Banegi Shikharwati, Lara will be seen playing the character of Rajkumari Devyani, who is the daughter of an eccentric king (played by Naseeruddin Shah), who stays in his palace and is under a debt of Rs. 32 crore, he calls up her daughters (played by Kritika Kamra, Lara, Soha Ali Khan and Anya Singh) to the palace to help him with the situation. 

The show will premiere on Zee5 on January 7. The show is directed and written by Gauravv K. Chawla.