Actor Anupria Goenka reflected on her experiences in the film industry, highlighting instances of gender bias and uncomfortable moments during shoots in a conversation with Siddharth Kannan.
She recalled receiving offers for certain films that she described as B-grade projects. In one case, she was approached for a movie featuring three male and three female actors. When discussing the script with the director, she was surprised to hear that the female characters had little to contribute to the story. The filmmaker openly stated that the primary focus was on the male leads, while the women had no significant role.
Goenka shared that she responded by declining the offer, stating that if female characters had no substance, the role could be given to someone else. The director, however, challenged her by asking where films with strong female roles were even being made. At the time, she could only think of Vidya Balan as an example of an actress consistently taking on impactful roles.
In another part of the conversation, Goenka spoke about two incidents where she felt uncomfortable while shooting intimate scenes. She clarified that she wouldn’t label it as someone taking advantage but admitted that she sensed her co-star becoming overly enthusiastic in such moments. She also described how, during a kissing scene, an actor could approach it gently, but sometimes they would be far more forceful than necessary.
Goenka’s experiences shed light on the challenges faced by female actors, both in terms of the roles they are offered and their experiences on set.
