Its time to end male domination in Bollywood: Tannishtha

Mumbai: Actress Tannishtha Chatterjee, who garnered international plaudits with films like `Brick Lane` and `Shadows of Time`, says she is ready to sink her teeth into Bollywood and wants more woman directors to call the shots in B-town.

"Getting accepted on the international film festival circuit is fantastic. I am loved and celebrated there (in the West). But I would definitely want to work more in India with directors and independent filmmakers back home, especially with women. I think it is time to change the male domination in Bollywood," Tannishtha, who recently performed a musical show at the Royal Opera House in London, told reporters. "Women are treated in a particular manner in Indian film industry. Today the fairer sex is empowered, armed with more purchasing power but she still faces an old bias when it comes to stories, direction. We need more scripts that relate and appeal to women...that give them an opportunity to do meaty and author-backed roles," she said. The Bengali actress is also performing in a play based on 7 monologues in Delhi this month with veteran Shabana Azmi. "The play is called Seven. `Vital Voices`, a leading international NGO which aims to bring visibility to extraordinary women around the world and promote their leadership potential, has commissioned it. All the seven stories are very powerful and about real life women who have been fighting for their space. I was thrilled when Shabana called me for a role," said the actress. "I am essaying the role of Hafsat Abiola, daughter of late Nigeria President-elect Moshood Abiola. She is a human rights and democracy activist. It is about her pain, trials and tribulations after her father was jailed for treason and later died in detention. Her mother Kudirat was also killed," said the actress, best remembered for her role of Nazneen in Sarah Gavron`s `Brick Lane` in 2007. PTI