Sushmita Sen says she had to fight for acceptance in the industry, didn’t get the same privileges as a male actor

Sushmita Sen made India proud when she brought home the coveted Miss Universe title in 1994. However, the road ahead was a rough one. The actress recently opened up about the troubles she faced during the early stage of her career.

While she enjoys huge popularity on social media, Sushmita Sen recently opened up on the gender inequality she faced in the industry.In an interview with her daughter Alisha’s school magazine, Sushmita stated, “As an actor, they would not allow me the same privileges as a male actor or the same opportunities. So yes, I’ve had to fight as a woman for many levels of acceptance. How do I deal with it? Well, I’m older now, so I do have experience and a reputation which has taken me years to build.” Speaking about being type-cast, she added, “The gender inequality and the difficulties that are born from being, for the lack of another word, typecast as a woman carries too many disparities in it. With experience and withstanding your ground, you are slowly changing the world one day at a time.”

Sushmita marked her debut in films with ‘Dasta’ in 1996. In her career spanning decades, the actress has delivered hits like 'Aankhen', 'Biwi No.1', 'Vaastu Shastra' and 'Main Hoon Na' to name a few. She floored the audience with her performance in OTT debut ‘Aarya’. The thrilling web series was renewed for a second season, which was equally a hit. A third season of ‘Aarya’ is said to be in the pipeline.