2 weeks ago

Kitu Gidwani Slams 'Fake' Bollywood's Ageism, Royalties and IP Rights

Kitu Gidwani Slams 'Fake' Bollywood's Ageism, Royalties and IP Rights
'Don't Want To Play Daadi Or Maasi': Kitu Gidwani Slams 'Fake' Bollywood's Ageism · NDTV

An actress named Kitu Gidwani has acted in movies and on TV for more than forty years.

She told a magazine that she is not happy with how the Indian movie world, called Bollywood, treats older women.

She says that when women grow older, they only get asked to play mothers or aunts.

She wants to play strong, fun, exciting characters instead.

She also says actors do not get paid whenever their movies and shows are shown again.

In America, actors get these payments, called royalties.

She thinks India needs a group like the Screen Actors Guild to protect actors.

She believes artists should be able to work for ten years and then live off their royalties.

Kitu became famous in shows like Air Hostess, Swabhimaan, and Shaktimaan.

Key facts

Actor
Kitu Gidwani
Experience
More than four decades in films and television
Debut film
Holi (1984)
Breakthrough role
Air Hostess (Doordarshan, 1986)
Notable TV roles
Svetlana in Swabhimaan; Geeta Vishwas in Shaktimaan
Notable films
Dance of the Wind, Earth, Rukhmavati Ki Haveli, Fashion, Abhay, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, Deham
Key criticisms
Ageism, unpaid royalties, zero IP rights, no actors' union in India
Key quote
'Bollywood is not a real industry; it's a cottage industry.'

Quotes

Kitu Gidwani

Veteran Bollywood actress and television star

“"Intellectual property rights and creative rights are zero in India. You don't have rights over your work. The producer gives you and the director a one-time fee, and then he can do what he wants with the property."”
NDTV
“"We don't want to play the generic mother or maasi. We want to play good, enduring roles with sex, love, power, comedy, and action."”
NDTV

Sources

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