What do actors Alia Bhatt, Lara Dutta Bhupathi, Deepika Padukone and Kangana Ranaut have in common? They are all making their mark behind the camera, and venturing into filmmaking. But Bhupathi feels there is a need for more women to get associated with the business side of showbiz.

“My 20s and 30s were spent in building relationships. Because at the end of the day, everybody knows that the film industry functions on the personal relationships that you build,” Bhupathi shares, adding, “I was very fortunate to have worked with some of the best people... Now, the industry knows me not just as an actor, but as a producer as well.”

The Hundred actor feels it is fantastic to see more women behind the camera, making it a level-playing field. “Today, you have Deepika, Alia and Kangana as producers. Now, the industry is accustomed seeing women [actors] wanting to take more challenging roles, not just from a creative point of view but also from a business point of view,” stresses the 43-year-old.

And that’s one of the things she wants to witness more in the industry. “I want to see more acceptance. I want to see more women succeed within the business, making successful projects. Because that’s when you will also see a change in content. And you will see things become less formula-driven,” opines the BellBottom (2021) actor.

But for this change to take place, the Chalo Dilli (2011) producer hopes filmmakers take more chances with scripts. “Sometime back, I was having a conversation with the makers of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan if there is a female villain in the story; and told them they should really explore it soon because it has never been done on screen yet. These are the things we look forward to do,” she signs off.