Why do we need gender-neutral terms? Many of you might wonder. Well, while society has dictated for a long time that a person can be either male or female, several people might not identify as those terms. There are people who identify as non-binary – neither male nor female. Hence, when they are referred as terms they don’t identify with, the experience can be quite alienating.
Actor Bhumi Pednekar, in an interview, stressed the need for having gender-neutral terms in the industry. For example, she questioned the use of terms like ‘heroes’ and ‘heroines’ and called it “regressive”.
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“People need to look at the terms ‘hero’ and ‘heroine’ in a gender-neutral way, and not from the lens of Bollywood. If someone asks me who my ‘hero’ is, I’ll say, it’s my mother. I wouldn’t call her the ‘heroine’ of my life, would I?” she asked.
She further went on to add that we are desperately in need of films with strong female protagonists. As the reel world tends to influence the real world, Bhumi believes that good films on women can change the mentality of society at large.
“Films with more female protagonists is the need of the hour. I’m happy with how the industry is making more films with female leads in recent years but that number needs to be way higher to affect social change. I’m hoping that this number increases by leaps and bounds. I’m also hoping that meatier roles are written for women in cinema. It will help change the mindset of society for women,” she said.
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This isn’t the first time Bhumi is advocating for gender neutrality. In an earlier interview, she suggested that award shows should have gender-neutral award categories.
“Over the course of last year, it was hugely encouraging to see award functions do away with gendered awards. Even from our context, if strong enough roles continue to be written for women and other genders, we can eventually reach a space where we have gender-neutral awards. An artist should be known for the kind of work that one does and not seen from the lens of gender. I see each one of us as artists who can do their bit to achieve parity,” she had said, adding that it is with these small changes that society will grow to be more inclusive.
Do you agree with Bhumi? Tell us!