Manushi Chillar has spoken on the perception towards women in the entertainment industry, stating that they are often ‘discussed with such disrespect and contempt’. Taking to her X account on Saturday, Manushi called out the misogynistic attitudes that prevail in the industry. (Also read: Kangana Ranaut says ‘politics is kinder to older women than film industry’ as she talks about joy of ageing)

What Manushi said

Without naming anyone in the industry or talking about a specific incident, Manushi began in her X post, “A misogynistic mindset finds it easier to attribute a woman’s success to a man’s patronage than her own merit. I’ve always really ignored silly comments which have no consequence in the real world, but I constantly see working women, specially in the entertainment industry being discussed with such disrespect and contempt.”

‘Is there a deep rooted bias?’

She went on to add, “I grew up in an empowered, educated environment where irrespective of gender, we all had equal value to add. But I have also been exposed to this mentality of “men are hardworking and talented if successful, whereas women and opportunists, gold diggers or manipulators” Is it as simple as “if you hear something bad about a woman, it’s from a female who can’t be her or a male who can’t have her”. Or is there a deep rooted bias?

Manushi won Miss World in 2017 and then made her acting debut in Bollywood through the historical drama Samrat Prithviraj opposite Akshay Kumar. It underperformed at the box office and received negative reviews. She then went on to do projects such as The Great Indian Family opposite Vicky Kaushal, and Operation Valentine. She was last seen in Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, which also starred Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff and Alaya F. The film emerged as a box office failure. She will be seen next in the film Tehran, alongside John Abraham.