Sherni Actor Sharat Saxena Opens Up On Ageism In Bollywood (Photo Credit: YouTube)
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The superstars of Bollywood of the ‘Khans’ of the industry are well in their 50s and continue to rule the industry. This goes on to say how actors certainly enjoy a long shelf life in the industry compared to actresses. However, veteran actor Sharat Saxena has a different opinion about this.
The Veteran actor has been in the industry for nearly five decades and has acted in more than 300 Bollywood films so far. He has mainly appeared as a father, uncle, or often comic villains in films but he is best remembered for Daaga in the 1987 film Mr. India.
Sharat Saxena recently appeared in Vidya Balan’s film Sherni wherein he played the role of Ranjan Rajhans aka Pintu Bhaiya, a callous hunter, who believes only he can save the village from the man-eating tigress. He has now claimed that the film industry spits you out the moment you show the first sign of ageing.
Talking to Indian Express, Sharat Saxena said, “Jahaan aap budhe lagne lage, you are thrown out of the film industry.” He also explained that to be the ‘quintessential Hindi film hero’ is a tough job for an actor to survive in the industry.
Sharat said, “An actor, and I am talking about the heroes/the leads, they have got the toughest job in the world. They have to look young, they have to look tough and they have to do that for 365 days a year, which is not possible. It is not normal. In fact, in every other profession, you get a break. For example, an athlete has to prepare for, let’s say, two months. He takes part in a competition, comes back home, rests and gains weight. But a Hindi film star has to look and be fit throughout the year. He has to work out every day, and yet party every day. He has to do everything every day and still survive.”
Sharat Saxena further said, “I do the same thing. I don’t party but I am working out every day. I am 71 but I have to try and look 45 years old. This is how it is. The moment you start looking old, you are thrown out of the film industry. This is a young people’s industry. Everybody has to be young. You are old or not, doesn’t matter. You have to look young. It is a crime to be an old man here.”
Sharat Saxena received a positive review for the physical transformation he achieved for the role he played in the recently released film Sherni. Talking about how he landed on the role, he said, “This opportunity came to me out of the blue. I liked my character. It was a powerful character and the second most important character in the film. I wanted to work in the film. It was the most unusual script I have come across.” He also praised the director Amit Masurkar. “He is the kind of director who will become more and more popular in the industry henceforth,” Saxena said.
