Kriti Sanon She has spoken candidly about the gender discrimination she has experienced in the Hindi film industry, saying that women are often viewed differently from their male counterparts, even when they display the same level of commitment to their work. During a conversation with Lily Singh on her YouTube channel, the actor reflected on her journey as an outsider and shared how female actors are judged more critically for behaviors that are often admired among male stars.Kriti admits that Bollywood has evolved over the years, with stronger and more layered roles being written for women now. However, he believes that some deep-rooted biases still persist on film sets. According to her, female actors are often taken for granted, while assistant directors and crew members are more cautious and respectful around male stars.Looking back on her career, Kriti said that the film industry was the toughest environment she worked in compared to modeling and engineering college. She recalls that when she entered Bollywood, opportunities for women were much more limited, with most mainstream films featuring male leads and female characters largely confined to romantic roles.While she feels the situation has improved significantly, Kriti says subtle forms of gender bias continue to manifest in day-to-day interactions on set.He points out how curiosity and engagement are interpreted differently depending on an actor’s gender. Kriti, who likes to fully understand her scenes and characters, says she has often been dismissed for asking too many questions, while male actors have been praised for doing the same.“When a female actor asks questions, it’s like, ‘kitne sawal puchti hai yeh, aray 50 sawal shuru ho jaenge (She asks a lot of questions. Here we go, she’s going to ask 50 questions).’ I think there is a conversation like this. Vs., a male star asking the question, is said to be too involved. It has been mine. When I asked the same question, I was told, ‘Don’t overanalyze it.’ But when it came from the guy, they were like, ‘OK, it can be done,'” Kriti said.Kriti Sanon went on to explain that gender bias on film sets is often subtle rather than overt. According to the actor, the difference in treatment can sometimes be reflected in everyday arrangements, such as rooms or vehicles assigned to male and female actors.He emphasized that the issue was not about getting better facilities, but about being treated with equal respect. Kriti said it is disappointing when such differences make female actors feel less valued than their male counterparts.“A lot of times it’s small things like the kind of car or room the male actor was given and the kind of room I was given. I mean, I don’t mind if I get a smaller room or car, but don’t make me feel inferior. Even ADs have a tendency to call girls first on set. They don’t realize that they are a little more intimidated than male actors,” she says, sometimes taking grants for female actors.Her comments contribute to the larger discussion around gender inequality in the film industry, highlighting how women face different expectations and treatment on set, even as the industry evolves. Kriti suggested that these biases are often embedded in routine interactions, where identical behavior is perceived differently by male and female actors.On the work front, Kriti was recently seen in ‘Cocktail 2’.
