\nWith the changing narratives and various age representations of women in Hindi cinema, in the last few years, the Indian cine-goers have been exposed to many stories that celebrate women. Actresses like Kareena Kapoor Khan and Rani Mukerji are making their comeback this year after childbirth, and actress Anushka Sharma went right back to shooting her new film \u201cZero\u201d after some days of travel.
\nThere was also actress Surveen Chawla, who revealed her new relationship status only after two years of her marriage, stressing on how \u201cbeing married does not make an actress less desirable\u201d.
\nHow does Sonam, who constantly tries to keep her personal life as private as possible, look at the whole change?
\n\u201cI will start talking about it when the media will start asking the same questions to all the male actors in our industry — about how they will take up their career after marriage, when will they make a comeback after the birth of their baby… This whole attitude towards married actress should be changed,\u201d Sonam told IANS in an interview.
\nCiting references from the past, she said: \u201cWhether it is Nutan, Nargis, Waheeda Rehman, Sharmila Tagore, Dimple Kapadia, Madhuri Dixit, Kajol, Kareena Kapoor Khan — they are all loved by our audience even after their marriage. So the mindset has been encouraged by a few filmmakers and media people.
\n\u201cBut hey, there are progressive and non-progressive minds in every business. So as in our industry. We should keep working… the change will come.\u201d
\nSonam\u2019s next big screen outing is \u201cPad Man\u201d. She essays a special character who supports and encourages a man to grow in his mission. The man on the mission in \u201cPad Man\u201d is Akshay Kumar, who takes on a role inspired by a real life hero who devised a low-cost sanitary pad-making machine for women\u2019s hygiene.
\nIt\u2019s interesting how well-known actors like Sonam are supporting content-driven films even with small roles.
\nThe \u201cNeerja\u201d fame actress said: \u201cI think it is important to make a film that is entertaining but also has a message along with it. And as an actor, if I have a reach to a wider audience, why not support a story that is deserved to be told? Otherwise, what is the point of making films that create no impact in the mind of our audience?\u201d
\nAsked about her opinion on the issue surrounding how talks on menstruation are considered a social taboo, Sonam said she hopes the stigma attached to it would go away.
\n\u201cIn the first place, women are looked at differently in our society as we do not give them the same opportunity and respect of a man. That happens in most Indian households. When a girl child grows up and starts chumming, there is a stigma attached to it, and makes the girl feel less, inferior and under-confident.
\n\u201cOn the contrary, that whole physical transformation makes a girl special. She is enabled to reproduce. She should be taught to celebrate it, not to hide it. I hope that after the film releases, the stigma attached to menstruation and its hygiene will go away,\u201d Sonam said.
\nProduced by Twinkle Khanna and directed by R. Balki, the film \u201cPad Man\u201d is releasing on January 25.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"