She made her debut in Bollywood in 1994 with Aag and later worked on movies Duplicate, Hum Saath Saath Hain, Sarfarosh and Kal Ho Naa Ho. Actress Sonali Bendre, who has been in the industry for over two decades, says filmmakers are choosing stronger content over tried-and-tested formulae.
Asked how the industry has changed over the years, She said in an email: “Things are much more professional now and much more streamlined ... There are better roles being written for women and people are now open to pushing strong content instead of only tried-and-tested formulas.”
The 42-year-old actress, who has also appeared in Telugu, Tamil, Marathi and Kannada films, says that the Indian film industry isn’t age-centric any more.
“Things are changing, slowly and steadily ... It’s a great time for Indian cinema,” said Bendre, who is married to filmmaker Goldie Behl.
Asked whether women in films were just arm candy earlier, she said: “To a great extent yes — at that time it was all about the star’s popularity and fan following. Today it’s about which actor or actress can pull off a particular role and get into a certain character.”
Bendre says the industry is re-visiting the golden era of cinema.
“There used to be the black-and-white era, where strong roles were written for women and I think we are now revisiting that golden era of cinema,” added the actress.
Bendre has started a book club on social media to encourage the habit of reading.
Talking about her book club, she said: “I used to be a voracious reader and then I never found the time. In today’s age, everything is digital. We are constantly on our phones or in front of the television; so we no longer take the time to just sit with ourselves ... I started this club to encourage the habit of reading.”
The Diljale actress has also written a parenting book called The Modern Gurukul: My Experiments with Parenting. She is the latest in a sting of celebrities to turn to writing.
Does she see actors turning into authors as a trend?
“I think a lot of people have interesting stories to tell, so it’s really wonderful that everyone is penning their stories and experiences,” Bendre said.
Bendre was last seen on the silver screen in 2013 in a special appearance in Once Upon A Time in Mumbai Dobaara!. She was later seen on the small screen in shows such as India’s Got Talent, India’s Best Dramebaaz and Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Ye.
What’s keeping her away from the big screen?
“I was busy bringing up my son and looking after our home, and now that I have the time, I’m open to exploring roles if the content is great and the character is interesting. Hadn’t really thought of it until now — but am open to the idea of getting back on the big screen,” she said.
