What’s age got to do with it?

“In showbiz, actors and models have a shelf life”

By Khushboo Kankan

Khushboo says actors usually maintain a screen age that may be a year or two below the actual age

As an actor and a model, I believe it’s a personal choice to reveal my age. For certain projects, it may be imperative to look a certain age, and if we don’t meet that requirement, we lose out. So, to ensure we have a proper body of work, we maintain a screen age that fits us, which might be a year or two below our actual age.

For screen presence, we are in the precarious position of maintaining freshness. We are also subject to the changing views of the audience – today, they are more concerned about the content they are paying for than looks. With that view, I really don’t understand why it’s important to give away one’s age. How is the knowledge of my age important in the context of the content my audience is viewing me for?

It’s true that actors and models looking a certain way influences people to achieve the same for themselves, but a lot of hard work goes behind ‘looking that certain way’.

Today, technology and the make-up industry are growing so gloriously that age is not something to be perturbed about. People can look any age they like with surgeries but the thing that matters is how actors encash themselves at the box office. In showbiz, actors and models have a shelf life.

Khushboo Kankan is a Lucknow-born model, who recently acted in her first web series as well

“A well-maintained woman will grow more beautiful with age”

By Prasad Bidapa

Prasad Bidapa argues that there many of India’s reigning supermodels are in their 30s, 40s and even 50s

India is one of the few fashion markets where mature models are accepted: many of the reigning supermodels in India are in their 30s, 40s and even 50s. Nayanika Chatterjee is often a showstopper for top designers. She makes an impact like few others can.

The wealth of the older models’ experience and confidence make them sought-after. They create unforgettable moments on stage and screen. Lakshmi Rana, Sonalika Sahay, Deepti Gujral, Candice Pinto, Rikee Chatterjee and so many others rule the ramp with their extraordinary presence.

But in Bollywood, youth is at a premium. Raveena Tandon, Twinkle Khanna, Preity Zinta, Vidya Balan and Rani Mukerji quietly folded their tents and left the business at the height of their talent and beauty. What an absolute waste!

Our ageing heroes always insist on girls who are in the very first flush of youth and ever so often you see a completely new crop of girls debuting in Bollywood. I’m sure some of them are not as young as they claim to be.

A well-maintained woman will grow more beautiful with age. Waheeda Rehman, Maharani Gayatri Devi and Shobhaa De, all in their 70s and 80s, exemplify this! I often wonder why they don’t use mature models for jewellery and cosmetic advertisements. They would be so much more believable than a teenager painted to look more sophisticated.

Prasad Bidapa is a Bengaluru-based style and fashion curator, with over four decades of experience in the fashion industry

From HT Brunch, January 10, 2021

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