Vikramaditya Motwane was speaking at the roundtable discussion which was hosted by Anupama Chopra where Kriti Sanon, Zoya Akhtar, Hansal Mehta were also present.

Vikramaditya emphasised on creating more opportunities for women. (Photo Credits: Instagram)
The latest round table discussion of O Womaniya, curated by Ormax Media and presented by Prime Video delves into the glaring disparities that women encounter both on and off screen in the Bollywood industry. Several personalities from the industry lent their voices and committed to redressing the gender balance in the field. Among these influential figures, Vikramaditya Motwane stood out as he passionately articulated the imperative of forging broader pathways for women within the industry. The director went on to cite an example from Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan and asserted why Deepika Padukone cannot be the lead in the film.

The director emphasized his viewpoint on why a woman can’t take the lead in a film. He said, “Why can’t Deepika be the lead on Pathaan? Why? Why Not? Why can’t be a film about a woman? Why not? And I think, studios especially and producers need to start pushing that.”

Kriti Sanon, who was also part of the roundtable discussion, addressed the industry’s enduring mindset. She said, “There is a huge section that is still very patriarchal where a male opinion also matters a lot more than a woman’s opinion. And I’ve seen that around. So, it happens. It is a mentality.”

Indian screenwriter & director Alankrita Shrivastava shares, “You know when we don’t have enough women behind the camera, it is going to reflect on what is being made. And there is a direct connection.”

The roundtable discussion, hosted by Anupama Chopra, also featured Zoya Akhtar, Alankrita Shrivastava, Hansal Mehta, Juhi Chaturvedi, and Aparna Purohit.

Vikramaditya Motwane has recently announced the world premiere of the long-anticipated docu-series, Indi(r)a’s Emergency. He also revealed that this insightful three-part documentary series will take centre stage at the prestigious Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, shedding light on one of the most contentious chapters in post-Independence Indian history: the declaration of a nationwide state of emergency by the formidable Indira Gandhi. The series is a unique cinematic creation that only includes footage from archival material and some animations. The footage is meticulously curated from sources such as the BBC, British Pathe, and Getty.