Taapsee Pannu who is known for voicing her opinions on several issues gave a lengthy reply to the Kangana Ranaut's sister Rangoli Chandel and others who criticised the actor for her role in the upcoming film 'Saand Ki Aankh.'
Taapsee and Bhumi Pednekar will be seen playing the role of two octogenarian sharpshooters was questioned by Chandel about why younger actors were not cast in the film.
Rangoli also made a revelation that the film was earlier offered to her sister Kangana but she turned it down and suggested the makers to cast older woman like Neena Gupta, Ramya Krishnan, and "fight ageism and sexism in Bollywood".
Taking a jibe on the comments made by Rangoli on Twitter, Taaspee posted a lengthy statement as her answer.
"I wonder... I just wonder... Do we ever want to embrace the positivity or just keep latching on to negativity and glorifying it to save our lack of risk-taking tendencies? Have we really lost the shoulder along with our spine to support people who venture out of their comfort zone to bring about a change ???? Or it's just reserved for 2 females who at a relatively nascent stage of their career venture out to do something, which we were told, most of the people turned down? I wonder ....," the 'Game Over' actor wrote.
She also listed examples from the past where certain celebrities opted for roles which were beyond their age.
"Did we ask the same question when we all loved what Anupam Kher did in Saaransh. Did we question when Nargis Dutt played mother to Sunil Dutt? Did we question John Travolta for playing a woman in Hairspray? Did we question Eddie Murphy for playing a white Jewish man in Coming to America? Did we question when Aamir Khan played a college kid in 3 idiots? And in the future, are we going to question Ayushmann Khurrana for playing a gay man in 'Shubh Mangal Zyada Savdhaan," she asked.
The fiasco started when one of the users on Twitter remarked about the age of the two lead actors who have hardly touched their early 30s and are playing old women onscreen.
"There are great roles written for women over 40 when you're hired to play them under 40": Tina Fay. I never get the infatuation of Hindi Films with youth, especially when it comes to women. This trailer is the emblematic representation of NOT practicing what you preach," the user Nikhil Sharma wrote.
He further vented out on the star and wrote, "This movie is a massive disservice to achievers like @realshooterdadi and @shooterdadi as the movie is based on their lives. Both started their careers after crossing 60 shattering all stereotypes surrounding gender and age becoming role models to all women in the country..."
Taking the debate on to the next tangent, Rangoli posted a series of tweet expressing her views on "deeply rooted sexism" in Bollywood fraternity.
"Dear Nikhil it's heartbreaking to see how our media first killed MeToo in India now making a joke out of feminism, Vikas Bahl and the director of this movie wanted Kangana to do this film, she clearly told them to cast an older woman and fight agism and sexism in Bollywood," Chandel tweeted.
Considering ace actors Neena and Ramya apt for the role, Rangoli wrote, "Even today Kangana feels Ramya Krishnan and Neena Gupta ji would have been a far better option, and they have a great market value, why can't they be mainstream actresses ?? when I call these people sasta."
Calling the move a "cheap way to make money out of feminism", she wrote, "(contd)...I am not talking about creative poverty or lack of aesthetics which is at full display, it's the lack of value system and cheap ways of making money out of feminism by doing anti femininity stuff ... very sad."
Participating in the debate was veteran actor Neena Gupta who appreciated Kangana and said she feels actors like here should be given roles of their age.
( With inputs from ANI )