Female-led films have been making their presence felt in Bollywood, but actor Saiyami Kher feels there is still a long way to go before women-led stories are treated on the same footing as movies led by men. In an exclusive conversation with SCREEN, Saiyami, who is excited for her film Haiwaan’s release, spoke about the greater scrutiny female-led films face when they fail at the box office, while male-led movies continue to get more chances.

Saiyami noted that male-led films are often given several chances despite failing to connect with audiences, while female-led films face a different level of scrutiny when they underperform. “The minute there’s a female-led film, people are like, ‘Who’s watching this?’”

While talking about the changing landscape, Saiyami Kher brought up Alia Bhatt and Sharvari’s Alpha. The actor pointed out that the film is a major female-led project and had significant money invested in it. However, she feels that women still have to constantly prove that they can headline films.

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Saiyami Kher on the reception of male led films vs female led films

“Alpha has really good-looking people on screen, fighting, and it was exciting because it was the first all-female spy kind of film. But if a filmmaker doesn’t make money on a female lead film, you see so many films led by men. You’ll keep seeing X, Y, Z, one, two, three, four keep coming out, but the minute there’s a female-led film, people are like, ‘Who’s watching this? Why make it?’ So then you go back ten steps,” she said.

“For any film led by women, you have to keep proving yourself, because that’s unfortunately how it is,” added the 8 AM Metro actor.

At the same time, Saiyami Kher believes things are changing, not just for female actors but also for women working behind the camera. “The positive part is that things are definitely changing for female directors, writers, technicians, DOPs, and not just actors. We’re seeing more female faces, which is very encouraging. I just hope that pace increases,” she said.

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‘I wish there were more female-led films written’

Saiyami also discussed the lack of roles being written for women. She pointed to actors such as Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi, Tabu and Shefali Shah, who have managed to carve out their own space through strong and varied performances. “I just feel like I wish we could see more of Tabu, Shabana and Shefali. I wish there were more scripts written for women,” said Saiyami.

Shriya Pilgaonkar, who plays a pivotal role in Haiwaan, agreed with her co-star’s perspective and added that male and female actors are treated differently when they return to films after a break. According to her, a male actor can take a seven- or 10-year sabbatical and still return as a leading man, while women often have to start over.

“A male actor coming back after a sabbatical of seven to ten years is still accepted, still the lead. But if a woman takes a break, it feels like she has to start from zero,” said the Mirzapur actor. 

She believes that the sucess of one major female-led movie could change the conversation and encourage more filmmakers to tell stories centred around women.

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“Of course, a woman in her 40s or 50s definitely approaches things very differently than a man in his 40s or 50s. But sometimes, you just need that one female led film to do well and get love from the audience for more people to be encouraged to write movies like that,” said Shriya Pilgaonkar. 

Haiwaan, an official remake of the Mohanlal-starrer Oppam (2016), is directed by Priyadarshan. Slated to release on September 11, the film stars Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan in the lead roles.