Hindi film industry is male-oriented: Anjana Sukhani

On her recent visit to the city, actress Anjana Sukhani spoke about the cool and friendly Indoreans and why luck is essential for outsiders in Bollywood
Indore is a second home
I keep coming to this city from time to time as I have a lot of friends and relatives here. I’m not an outsider to Indore, it’s my second home. I know the culture and the people. The best memory I have of this state is when I visited Mahakal Mandir in Ujjain.We left early in the morning and the outing was so relaxing. It was a memorable day. Indoreans are so cool and friendly, and I have my own gang of friends here. The city is a foodie’s paradise, and I love the street food of Indore. Although, I have to follow a strict diet regime, I crave for Indore ki kachori, garadu and daal-baati. So I do cheat and eat small portions of the yummy food. Indore aayein aur yahan ka khana na khayein, toh trip ka significance hi khatam ho jaata hai!
Hindi film industry is patriarchal
Hindi film industry is male-oriented. This is not the case down South. I have been a part of a number of Tollywood films and I must admit, the content gives equal weightage to the character of a woman as it’s for her male counterpart. Now, Hindi films are also undergoing a phase change. We’re catering to a very intelligent and sensible lot of people, who probably don’t enjoy watching a woman’s degradation on screen any more. By that, I don’t mean to say that doing an item number is indecent, but the entire idea of portraying a woman as a bechari and that only a man can save her from all her life’s pains is something that viewers find hard to accept. Yes, people do watch absolutely nonsensical and mindless high- budget entertainers, but they equally prefer watching a low-budget movie with an interesting plot. I guess that is a positive thing; people are appreciating films of both the spectrums. Change is a gradual process and I’m glad that it’s finally happening.
Luck is important to find work in Bollywood
For outsiders like us, destiny plays a very important role in determining our position in the industry. We don’t have the luxury of a filmy background and don’t have producers or directors to offer films. Star kids are born with a silver spoon. One definitely has to have the potential and be hard-working enough to make their presence felt in Bollywood. But to find the apt work; destiny is your only saviour. There are a number of talented actors who are dying to get even a one-minute role. So being there for the right thing at the right time is crucial. But gradually, with the influx of outsiders in the industry, the scope for actors is in abundance. Just because you’re a superstar’s son or daughter, there’s no assurance that you’ll continue to get meaty offers. For me, hard work comes first and I can proudly say that whatever little I have achieved today is because I have always kept on with my passion and determination to achieve my target. I may not have delivered a dozen of super hits but I’m happy with the pace in which my career’s shaping up.