Anushka Sharma Candidly, Thoroughly, PERFECTLY Called Out Bollywood's Sexism

    SLAM. DUNK.

    Rega Jha
    by Rega Jha

    BuzzFeed India Contributor

    To mark Anushka Sharma completing 7 years in Bollywood, Anupama Chopra just released a half-hour interview with the actress in which they discuss everything from drinking, to producing, to Virat Kohli.

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    When asked about Bollywood's treatment of women, Sharma opened up with more candour than Bollywood celebrities usually do. And she nailed it.

    On the roles women are offered in Bollywood:

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    On Bollywood's gender-specific ageism:

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    "There's a sexual connotation attached to this," she continued.

    On Bollywood writing insubstantial female characters:

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    "Although this year has been really, really good for women," she continued, "A lot of films that've done well have actually been films with female protagonists."

    On, well... Sexism:

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    "I'm sure every hotel has TWO really good rooms," she laughed before explaining that Bollywood gave her her first exposure to sexism. "Growing up, my parents treated my brother and me with absolute equality," she said. "I was never treated differently. I never felt like I was lesser or I was discriminated against. I've only experienced that after I became an actor. I was very young when I became an actor, I was 19 years old. But dheere dheere, in my experience with the industry, I started to see the differences. It's a mindset thing. We talk about how in small towns women get discriminated against, but it happens even here. It's very, very apparent."

    On the wage gap:

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    "A few years ago, when people were being asked this question, they were being diplomatic about it. Today we're talking about it because in all walks of life, women are earning money and the power game has shifted."

    "A female newcomer and a male newcomer will get paid different amounts of money. You're a newcomer, nobody knows who you are, man or woman doesn't matter. But you're going to get paid different money," she continued.

    On being a woman with opinions:

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    On how unfairly women are labelled:

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    And a plea to the industry:

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    Thank you, Queen Anushka.

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    Watch the interview in full here.

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