Bollywood has long faced scrutiny for its gender disparities, and actress Kriti Sanon recently shed light on the subtle yet significant biases that women continue to face in the industry. In a candid conversation with NDTV, the Mimi star spoke about how small but telling instances exposed her to the inequalities faced by female actors.

Kriti Sanon calls out the gender bias in Bollywood

Kriti reflected on her upbringing, sharing that her parents, both working professionals, always divided responsibilities equally at home. As a result, she and her sister Nupur never felt restricted because of their gender. She revealed that while her mother was only able to fight for her right to study—sacrificing her hobbies in the process—she always encouraged Kriti to dream freely and pursue whatever she wanted.

Kriti admitted that she has, at times, experienced treatment that left her feeling undermined compared to her male co-stars. “It hasn’t happened too many times, but little things like the male actor getting a better car or a better room… It’s not about the car, but about not making me feel smaller because I’m a woman. Just make it equal,” she said.

According to Kriti, the deeper issue lies in ingrained attitudes that often go unquestioned. She added, “Sometimes even ADs have a habit of calling the female actor first and waiting for the male actor later. I’ve had to tell them not to do that. The mindset needs to change.”

Kriti Sanon’s upcoming films

Kriti was last seen in Do Patti, in which she also served as producer. The film also featured Shaheer Sheikh and Kajol in lead roles and received positive reviews from the critics. The film is available to watch on Netflix. She will next be seen opposite Dhanush in Anand L Rai’s romantic drama Tere Ishk Mein, written by Himanshu Sharma and Neeraj Yadav, which is scheduled to release on 28 November this year. She also has Cocktail 2 in the pipeline, co-starring Rashmika Mandanna and Shahid Kapoor.