What Women Want: Sandalwood actors speak on Int'l Women's Day 2024

On International Women’s Day, Kannada film actors talk to Aayushi Parekh about how they feel as women in the industry and what they’d like to see change

Samyukta Hornad

Sandalwood actors speak on International Women's Day on the changes they want to see in the Kannada Film Industry

The industry has changed a lot in the last decade. The number of women cinematographers, directors, etc. has increased. I have been getting more roles as well. However, I would like to see women carry films completely on their shoulders, not just as directors but as actors. In most films, women play roles that support the male protagonist. I would love to get a film that I carry on my shoulders.

Dhanya Ramkumar

Personally, I think that the kind of opportunities coming my way within the Kannada film industry are not enough. I want more opportunities, especially in terms of characters that can help me explore my strengths as an actor and reach my audience. I want to perform more and showcase my potential. What I like about the film industry and something that I count as a blessing, is their acceptance of me as an actor.

Radhika Narayan 

I think it would be a radical change towards empowerment when the marital or maternal status of an actress is not a criterion for being cast in pivotal roles. There are projects that select women on the basis of merit but it still remains a rare occurrence.

Shwetha Srivatsav

 What primarily needs to change is that women should be considered equals in the business of the film industry. We’re still facing a payment disparity, although it is much better than before. The amazing part of the industry is that most audiences are accepting and appreciative of female-centric films, so we can experiment with more content-driven films now.

Sangeetha Sringeri

When I’m approached for a role, directors often have many other names in their list for the role. In the end they usually cast whoever takes the least pay. However, I’m seeing many women-centric, content-driven films coming up in other languages. So I’m hoping that our directors and writers can come up with such scripts as well.

Meghana Gaonkar

[Sandalwood] is a wonderful place, one I’m really proud to be a part of, but like every workplace, there is a chance for improvement. Fair and equal pay would be a good thing. My favourite aspect of being an actress in this industry is that I get to represent our state, language, culture and art.