Women are better actors: Anushka Sharma bats for heroines

Every time Anushka Sharma speaks up, there grows hope for the new generation of strong women in Indian cinema. In her recent interview with Elle magazine, the actress has put up an interesting reason why women make for better actors.

Quoting legendary Hollywood actress Meryl Streep, Sharma said, "I was reading Meryl Streep’s biography and there’s a part where she says the reason women make better actors is because all their lives, they've had to act to make people listen to them." 

Further, the NH10 (2015) actress said, "We’ve all got to find our way to take part in the conversation. I do it by choosing strong roles."

The actress has marked herself as a woman of strong convictions with films like Sultan (2016) and NH10 in recent times. She has stuck to her choice of scripts even at the cost of losing her favourite directors. The example of Imtiaz Ali, whose Jab We Met (2007) inspired Sharma to take up acting, being refused when he approached her for Tamasha (2015) stands out.

The actress said, "I will never say yes to a script because I’m scared to hurt someone or afraid they’ll get back at me for my refusal. But I say no honestly, I don’t lie about [my reasons]. You have to respect the person enough to do that and usually they’ll understand."

In a lengthy interview, the actress spoke on issues ranging from her relationships to her forthright stand on issues. Sharma admitted that being outspoken is not usually welcomed. She said, "It’s like being in a room where the adults are talking. And if you speak your mind, everybody turns to look at you in surprise."

However, she certainly had the last word in the interview when she refused to give in to the stereotype in the industry. "I don’t subscribe to these notions of ‘I’m an actress and I only have a few good years to work’ or that I can be only one thing. This is a strength," she said. 

The actress is in no mood to be a role model, however. Rejecting the idea, she said, "I don’t want to be a role model. I tell my young fans, you should never have just one role model. We are all flawed and we all make mistakes. If you are privileged enough to be able to influence people, I think your responsibility is to be as real as possible." 

The actress will be seen in Karan Johar's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil alongside Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Fawad Khan. The film is set for release on 28 October.