HomeEntertainmentTelevisionNo More Saas-Bahu Sagas: Renuka Shahane On Roles For Women On TV

No More Saas-Bahu Sagas: Renuka Shahane On Roles For Women On TV

No More Saas-Bahu Sagas: Renuka Shahane On Roles For Women On TV

No More Saas-Bahu Sagas: Renuka Shahane On Roles For Women On TV

MUMBAI (IANS)- Veteran actress and filmmaker Renuka Shahane has expressed strong disappointment with the current state of television content, criticizing its repetitive and regressive portrayal of women.

Her third directorial project, a Marathi animated short titled “Loop Line,” is set to be showcased at the 2025 New York Indian Film Festival. Scheduled for a June 21 screening, the film delves into the neglect and emotional struggles often endured by Indian housewives within rigid, patriarchal family structures.

Shahane revealed that despite regularly receiving offers for television roles, the nature of the content often prevents her from accepting them. The Hum Aapke Hain Koun…! actress highlighted a pervasive trend in TV plots, particularly the stereotypical conflict between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law.

“I do get offers very regularly for television,” Renuka stated, “but unfortunately, television today is just full of daily soaps, and it’s not possible for me to manage my home, my writing, direction, and acting, and then kind of balance that.” She further elaborated on her reluctance, saying, “Unfortunately, most of the stories on television today are very regressive. They show women in a very regressive manner, even if, on the face of it, it’s about something that is talking about women of substance.”

Shahane continued, “It’s the same thing over and over again. I’ve got offers where I’ve been told that, ‘Oh, you’re the mother-in-law, and you don’t get along with your daughter-in-law,’ and I said, ‘I don’t even want to hear beyond this because let’s go beyond.'”

The veteran actress lamented the missed opportunity for social change, pointing out, “There are so many shades of mothers-in-law, so many shades of daughters-in-law, and women are doing so many things today, and none of that is reflected on our television, which is unfortunate.” She recalled a time when television was a powerful tool for social progress. “That, I don’t think, I think it’s given up that aspect,” she added. “That aspect has been taken over by films, web series, and short films.”

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