Sonali Kulkarni, who portrayed Salman Khan’s mother in ‘Bharat’ despite being younger than the actor himself, was asked whether actresses tend to be typecast into older roles far sooner than their male counterparts, who often continue playing youthful heroes. She responded that things are shifting, with several male actors now moving away from the larger-than-life hero image, pointing to Aamir Khan and Saif Ali Khan as examples.
Sonali Kulkarni on how marriage no longer ends heroine roles
In a conversation with News18, Kulkarni looked back at an era when marriage often meant the end of heroine roles for actresses. She said, “There was a time when we used to discuss how women don’t get heroine roles once they marry. Do you hear that nowadays? No. Because I think the audience has proved that just like heroes get married, heroines can also get married. They can also have children. They can have families.”She went on to point out how audiences today are exposed to content from across the globe, with multiple platforms available to showcase talent. Sonali added, “In this scenario, I don’t think we have room to complain that girls are getting different roles. I feel pity for those people who claim that they just want to be a hero. I don’t think any actor is that narrow-minded today. Whether a male actor or a female actor, they want to explore their talent.“
Sonali Kulkarni on Saif Ali Khan’s versatility
She then brought up her ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ co-stars, Saif Ali Khan and Aamir Khan, highlighting how both have embraced challenging and varied roles. “We have such versatile actors. I don’t think any actor will say that he wants to look young. If we talk about Saif Ali Khan, he is maturing like a fine wine; he isn’t fearing taking up the role of a young dad who is in love,” Sonali said.The actress further continued, “Aamir Khan is the epitome of experimenting. I don’t think anyone has the courage to do what he has done in Dangal. Aamir Khan jiske poster lagte hain, ladkiyan bekarar hain, mar rahi hain shaadi karne ke liye. He is presenting himself as the father of 3-4 daughters without any prosthetic; then he is my hero. (Aamir Khan, whose posters are put up everywhere, has girls going crazy for him, dying to marry him. He is presenting himself as the father of three or four daughters without any prosthetics; then he is my hero). He is grinding himself fearlessly.”Sonali concluded, “I don’t think any good actor is stuck in this competition where they want to look young. They are flaunting their talent. They are flaunting their command over acting. By all means, they don’t fear their age.”
