Women’s safety, pay parity were never part of conversation in ’90s: actor Madhoo

Mumbai, Mar 8 (PTI) Actor Madhoo, known for her roles in “Roja” and “Phool Aur Kaante”, says she is happy to have returned to the film industry at a time when crucial issues like pay parity and women’s safety are gaining widespread attention.

The actor took a sabbatical of a few years from acting to focus on her personal life and made a comeback in 2008 with the Hindi-language film “Kabhi Socha Bhi Na Tha” and has, since then, appeared in several Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada movies.

“In the ’90s, protection, safety or pay parity for women was not even talked about; it was not even a conversation. There was blind acceptance to how things were, and that was the mindset then. But it is not like that anymore. There is a conversation, a fight. Sometimes you win and sometimes you don’t win,” she told PTI in an interview on the sidelines of the Jagran Film Festival.

Madhoo, 55, said she admires the new generation of female stars whom she describes as the “flag bearers” of change.

“The girls today are amazing flag bearers because of whom the conversation in other people’s minds have started. Like, even an older generation (of female actors) can think this is possible, and I’ve the power to say no, saying, ‘I’ll not accept this, this is what I want’. The new generation is coming with an open, equal space mindset, which is great,” she said, adding she likes work choices made by Neena Gupta, Tabu, and Deepika Padukone.

Madhoo, also known for web series such as “Sweet Kaaram Coffee” and “Manorathangal”, said she is looking forward to doing great work in her second innings in the industry.

“Home was and is important even today for me. Now, when I question that decision of mine (to leave the industry), thinking, did I leave it fulfilled? Did I leave it fully satisfied? I am not sure. I left it because I wanted to do other things. But I didn’t feel that I did it.

“I have come back with a lot of aspirations. So, what I couldn’t do, I have come back to make up for that. I pray I get those opportunities so I can come and fulfil my leftover dreams. Earlier, I was called the heroine, now I want to act. I want to play the roles which come naturally to me and which don’t come naturally to me,” Madhoo said.

Much like Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan, she also wants to put in “homework” for her roles.

“Aamir, Hrithik, and some other actors do a lot of homework and present a character which is so different from them. For instance, I saw Hrithik’s ‘Super 30’, he had transformed himself. I’ve not done any of that. So, I hope I get a chance to do that,” she said.

Madhoo will next be seen in the Vishnu Manchu-starrer “Kannappa”. The Telugu-language movie, also starring Akshay Kumar, Prabhas, Mohanlal, and Kajal Aggarwal in pivotal roles, is slated to hit the big screen on April 25.