‘Filmmaking Has Changed, So Should Our Mentality’

Genelia D’Souza is making a much anticipated return to the big screen with Aamir Khan’s upcoming film Sitaare Zameen Par, where she plays his on screen wife. The news of her casting was met with enthusiasm from fans and industry insiders alike, however, she slammed Bollywood bias against married actresses. She also revealed that she auditioned for Aamir Khan’s film three times, and hoped that the right people would be cast for the right roles in the future.

In a candid interview with Filmymantra Media, Genelia revealed that while many congratulated her on working with Aamir, few acknowledged that she earned the part through merit and not mere luck, “When people got to know I’m doing Sitaare Zameen Par, everybody said, ‘Oh my god! So lucky! You’re doing an Aamir Khan film!” I said, of course, that’s Aamir sir’s bigness that he saw something in me. Of course, he made me audition. But you could also do that, right? You could also offer me a role.”

She went on to criticize the industry’s habit of side-lining married women, adding, “But you go as per the norms. Maybe you think I’m married, so I don’t need this character. I just feel filmmaking has changed, and so should our mentality. It’s very important that if you want a character of a certain age, you should cast someone of that age. When we cast an actor who’s much younger than the character I played, they can’t understand the little-little things of it. It’s important to cast right. And I hope opportunities go everyone’s way.”

Recently Aamir Khan has reacted to his age gap with Genelia D’Souza for the film.  Expressing his views, he told The Indian Express, “We have the advantage of VFX now. Earlier, if I had to play an 18-year-old, I had to rely on prosthetics — like Anil Kapoor did in Eeshwar (1989), when he played an 80-year-old. Today, you can look 80 or 40 or 20 on screen with seamless visual effects. So, age is no longer a barrier for actors.”

Sitaare Zameen Par is the Hindi adaptation of the Spanish hit Campeones and also a spiritual sequel to acclaimed Taare Zameen Par. Both Genelia and Aamir play characters in their early 40s.  Its is slated for a theatrical release on June 20.