Shilpa Shetty on the 90s era: Filmmakers now taking women seriously

Actress Shilpa Shetty has said that films in the 90s were looked at as a medium to “escape from reality” and things were far-fetched; hence, the actresses were glamorous because one “didn’t want to see drab stuff.”

Shilpa has been ruling the roost since her debut in 1993 with ‘Baazigar’. Since then, she has made her mark in many 90s and 2000s films. And with Rohit Shetty’s ‘Indian Police Force’, the actress made her series debut on a streaming platform in 2024.

Talking about filmmakers now taking women seriously as compared to the 90s, Shilpa told, “Times have changed and with time, content has changed. Films are nothing but a reflection of the fabric of our society. Back in the day I think films were looked at as a medium to kind of escape from reality.”

“So, things were far-fetched, actresses were glamorous because you didn’t want to see drab stuff,” she added.

The actress said that there was a contrast between art and commercial cinema back then.

“And there was a clear dichotomy between art films and commercial cinema. Today. I feel lines are blurred,” she said.

Shilpa added: “People are constantly concentrating on great content. We are living in a society which is more egalitarian. Hence, you reflect on what women of today are in your movies and in your content.”

Shilpa made no bones when she said that one needs to move with time.

“That’s why you maybe having a Shefali Shah helming the role of a strong protagonist in a Delhi Crime or a Vidya Balan in a Shakuntala or even Tara Shetty in IPF. You have to move with time.”

“I cannot compare any decade to the next. Or the one comes after this. Who knows what is going to come next,” she concluded.