'Demeaning': Jyotika slams 'sidekick' roles for women in big-budget films
What's the story
Jyotika, who stars in the recently released Netflix series Dabba Cartel, has spoken out against the "demeaning" practice of casting female actors as mere sidekicks to their male counterparts in mainstream films.
Speaking to Bollywood Bubble, she revealed her disappointment at being offered roles that only required her to stand next to a prominent male actor despite having proven her talent in numerous films.
Industry struggle
'I think that's something which is very demeaning'
Elaborating on her struggle, Jyotika said, "I think after doing a number of films, you are called by big production houses to just stand by a large male actor."
"A place where you're not given a concrete role enough, and you wonder why they come to you."
"That's quite a hard pill to swallow because you think you've been there and done it, but still, you don't know why you're being treated as a sidekick."
"So, that's very demeaning."
Series triumph
'Dabba Cartel' success and initial casting controversy
Meanwhile, Dabba Cartel has been receiving rave reviews since its release on February 28.
Directed by Hitesh Bhatia and produced by Excel Entertainment, the series stars Anjali Anand, Shalini Pandey, Shabana Azmi, Gajraj Rao, Nimisha Sajayan, and Saie Tamhankar among others.
Jyotika, who predominantly works in South cinema, was also seen in the Hindi films Shaitaan and Srikanth last year.