Actress Madhoo opens up about ageism in bollywood, expresses dissatisfaction with roles

Actress Madhoo, well-known for her roles in films such as Roja, Yodha, Zaalim, and others has made quite a name for herself in the bollywood by playing powerful characters. However, Madhoo opted to leave the profession at the pinnacle of her career. She recently shared the reason behind her choice at an event. She expressed dissatisfaction with the roles she was given. She went on to explain that getting'meaty parts' at a certain age is tough for women even now.

During an event in Chennai,  Madhoo revealed that she has no desire to play the mother of a prominent celebrity on cinema. She used Ajay Devgn as an example, as she made her Bollywood debut alongside him in Phool Aur Kaante in 1991. "I have no interest in playing Ajay Devgn's mother," the actress stated. And this is a likely situation. We both started in the profession at the same time and are about the same age."

Madhoo also spilled the beans on Bollywood films in the 90s. She shared how action films and male actors dominated back then. She added, "During the 90s, action films and heroes dominated the scene, and my roles mainly involved dancing, delivering a few romantic lines, and shedding tears with parents. While I enjoyed dancing, I realized that I was deeply unhappy with this shift from films like 'Roja'. I recognised that my true passion lay in being an artist and doing meaningful work".

Madhoo also shared her reason for leaving the industry during her interview. She admitted to having a "feeling of dissatisfaction" while working in Bollywood. 

She shared, "After working in the industry for about 9-10 years, I decided it was time to quit. The moment I found a reason, which was when I wanted to get married, I wrote a letter to the people in the industry, expressing my intention to leave. It was partly driven by a sense of arrogance, childhood arrogance. I recognize that now, but at that time I felt that they didn't deserve me. Deep down, I knew I wanted to accomplish much more in my career. So I decided to get married, have children, and continue with my life".

However, Madhoo recognised that the industry has evolved. She used Tabu as an example, mentioning how the Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 actress had recently appeared in films alongside Ajay. She expressed her 'immense gratitude' for the favourable advancements in the sector.