“Women between 35 and 55 were rarely seen in films earlier” says Lara Dutta

There was a time when women over 40 were just considered for the role of a “long-suffering wife, or grandmother”, but not any longer, with age-appropriate roles being written the industry. And actress Lara Dutta Bhupathi finds it “very liberating”.

“When I look at my recent projects, it was one of the most liberating and one of the most fulfilling experiences… Because I was playing women in their 40s,” says Lara.

She adds, “I was portraying somebody who was my own age, with very real problems. These were characters that weren’t necessarily your stereotypical portrayal of women on screen, the way it has been in the past. It’s amazing and liberating to play a woman who is not perfect on screen, and is faulty and has her weaknesses.”

Lara finds it astounding to get under the psyche of such characters. “Because I understand this being in my 40s. Today, I know the psychology of these characters and the women. It is much more relatable to play these characters today, which we didn’t have earlier” says the actress.

Looking back at the gap in the past, she uncovers, “The entire cohort of women between 35 and 55 were very rarely seen and addressed on screen, whether it was in films or anything else. It was as though we didn’t exist”.

“If you were over 55, you were the grandmother, or if you were in your 30s, women were playing the mothers of some of the heroes, or playing the long suffering wife or the girlfriend. Today, at least for this sector of women, there is a section of the audience, which is fantastic as you move beyond only having to be subjected to the saas bahu serials”.