3rd April, 2023 Mumbai: Recently, Indian television actress Rupali Ganguli revealed that she faced age shaming for her role in an Indian television serial, where she was romancing a younger man. In the serial, Ganguli was paired opposite Gaurav Khanna, who was 10 years younger than her. Ganguli revealed that she was subjected to severe trolling and shaming over social media for her role in the serial, where she was playing the role of a woman in her late thirties, romancing a man in his late thirties.
She stated that she was called an ‘aunty’ and trolls said that she should not be seen romancing a younger man. Ganguly further revealed how the age shaming affected her personally, as she felt that no one was willing to accept her with an age gap and she was deemed as ‘inappropriate’ for the role. However, she also added that she was thankful for the support she received from her fans, who encouraged her to stay strong and ignore the trolls.
Rupali said that she was surprised by the negative reactions and felt that the criticism was unfair. She said that she was just playing a role, and had no control over the script or her character’s actions. She added that people should not judge her for her character’s decisions, as the creative team decided to create such a storyline.
Ganguly’s revelation has sparked a debate over ageism in the Indian television industry, where older female actors are often not allowed to romance younger male actors. This has led to a situation where older female actors are relegated to playing the role of mothers and grandmothers, while the younger ones are allowed to play the lead.
Rupali also expressed her disappointment with the fact that women are so often judged based on age. She said that age should not be a factor in determining people’s relationships.
Ganguli’s revelation is a wake-up call to all of us, to change our outlook on ageism in the entertainment industry and to embrace actors of all ages. We need to create a space where age is not an obstacle and all actors are given equal opportunities to showcase their talent.