‘Senior’ films

Seasoned actress Hema Malini has a vast body of work but is rarely seen in films these days. Ask her the reason and she says, “Most of the filmmakers today are too scared to cast senior actresses in their films. While senior male actors keep getting roles even when they turn 100, I feel senior actresses must come together and make films for themselves. But ever since big studios have stepped in, filmmaking has become a very expensive and complicated process. After spending so much money on a film, getting screens is a major issue. It is getting difficult to survive. No wonder most of the old filmmakers have stopped making films now. Who would want to lose money in old age?”
Complicated process or not, Hema is back to producing films. “I have finished the shoot of my Punjabi film Matti. Regional films are making waves now and if I get a good script, I’d like to make films in Marathi, provided the budget is also reasonable. In 2019, I plan to produce a Hindi film too,” she informs.