Actor Kitu Gidwani does not shy away from calling out the entertainment industry for often putting older women in a stereotypical box, and says creators should be ashamed of discarding women over 40 years of age.

“When it comes to portrayal of real women on screen, we are light years behind on what we are showing. We are cowards in this country and do not want to show women who are highly successful, single or don’t have children,” Gidwani tells us.

The 54-year-old, who is known for projects such as Swabhimaan, Air Hostess, Dance Of The Wind (1997), Earth (1999) and Rukhmavati Ki Haveli (1991), asserts that the industry is still not making space for women over 40.

“Enough of discarding women after they turn 40. Women are in their prime at this age. Men are like teenagers till the day they die. But women mature [with age]; they are capable of anything, once they are sure of themselves. When a woman knows who she is, she can reach the moon. So I am hoping to see this fire in women onscreen as well,” she asserts.

“I am doing more [work] today than I did when I was 40,” adds the actor, who is disappointed with the lack of representation of “real women”. However, the actor is hoping for things to change fast. “Hum log dhindhora peet rahe hain ke women are going ahead and changing things, but it is not shown in our films, small screen or in the web space. Shame on the entertainment industry for this,” adds the actor, who recently played a mother in the web show, Potluck.

“At the end of the day, a male writer wants to put the woman back in the box where she’s at his service. And I want to say, ‘I am not at service to anyone’. In fact, the number of women in the business is still pretty low,” she emphasises.

Gidwani continues, “Writing is not changing in India to my great dismay.” While she accepts that change is seeping in, she feels it is too slow. “In reality, women in India and all over the world are way ahead of what fiction is showing,” she ends.