Praising women from around the region for outstanding contributions to their respective fields, the show will also attract some of Bollywood’s top names, including Zarine Khan, Mugdha Godse, Malaika Arora Khan, and Karisma Kapoor, to pick up a few trophies and provide entertainment.
Here we get the sometimes conflicting views of four more Tinsel Town players, spanning every generation and who will also be making the journey in just over a week, about a variety of subjects including the event, women’s rights, and how they perceive the industry.
What, in your opinion, makes one worthy of receiving a Gr8! Women award?
NEELAM: A woman’s outlook, her contribution to society, and a sum total of all her achievements.
GAUHAR: I think it’s not just achieving success in one’s career, although that’s important, but it’s doing a little extra for society and giving back that also counts. Setting a good example is also very important. It’s an honor for me to be performing in front of an audience that has achieved so much.
ANUSHKA: I feel that women who have tried to make substantial growth in their particular field should be awarded with the Gr8 Women Achievers Award as they are setting an example for other women to follow and also feel their efforts are not going unnoticed.
SANJEEDA: I think your ability to be the best at whatever you do, whichever field you choose, be it a doctor, a teacher, or an actor, for example.
Do you feel there needs to be more occasions recognizing women’s achievements?
NEELAM: Absolutely! There should definitely be more events and functions to appreciate the achievements of a woman. And I most certainly am proud to be associated with these awards.
ANUSHKA: I feel we should have lots more such events as the women who are scared to come out of their shells and speak/work can find the confidence within.
Who is/was your female role model in life and why?
GAUHAR: As clichéd as it sounds, it’s my mother. She’s brought all of us five children up single-handedly while my father was away in Japan working for 14 years. We’ve all turned out pretty good, thankfully, and I’m grateful to her. I’d be happy if I become half the person my mother is.
ANUSHKA: I would have to say my mother, Anu Ranjan. She is the woman who sees that women can do much more if given the right push. And she has left no stone unturned in helping women in need and getting the world to notice their abilities.
SANJEEDA: My mother has been my role model all through my life as she is the one who has brought me up and made me the person I am today. We are judged by our upbringing and if people like me the way I am today, it’s because of my mum. She’s my best friend.
Working in a male-dominated industry like Bollywood, do you feel women get the credit they deserve? Are times changing or can more progress be made?
NEELAM: I think the industry has come a long way. And let’s not forget, that our world itself is a male-dominated one, so why just call the industry male-dominated? Although I must say focus is shifting and women are doing very well for themselves as well.
GAUHAR: A lot of progress is being made. Women are getting stronger roles now. It’s not like before where being the “heroine” depended on who you were being paired with. For instance, look at Vidya Balan in Kahaani, Priyanka Chopra in Barfi! and for that matter my own role in Ishaqzaade, all these were good women-oriented roles. So I can say that we are definitely moving forward and there’s a lot of great cinema coming up.
ANUSHKA: That is the general perception, so a greater change needs to be made, but at the same time there is progress in terms of characters women now get to play.
SANJEEDA: It’s my industry. I am in the television industry and I can easily say that I don’t think it is a male-dominated industry. Look at Vidya Balan in Kahaani and so many other great women-oriented movies. Times certainly are changing and a lot of progress is being made.
Which woman in Bollywood do you feel has achieved the most?
NEELAM: Vidya Balan. She’s not the typical actress. She’s created a separate niche for herself in a very short span of time. She’s not glamour-oriented and acts for the love of it.
GAUHAR: It’s tough because one may have done a hundred mediocre films or one very big film, so how does one comment? To me, success is subjective. It’s relative. You have to basically be happy doing what you are doing. It’s how happy you are that can give you a true picture of how successful you are. To me, everybody has achieved so much.
ANUSHKA: Sushmita Sen.
SANJEEDA: Many actresses have in their own way achieved a lot. For me, it’s Kareena Kapoor. Even though she came from a filmy background, she has achieved a lot.
Woman-centric films made a big impact last year, but do you believe the term woman-centric is in itself a little condescending? Shouldn’t a film just be a film?
NEELAM: Why look into it so much? It has been a male-dominated industry right from the start.
GAUHAR: I hope and pray that people stop using this term “women-centric.” It’s not condescending, it’s just very partial. We don’t call films that guys act in, “men-centric,” so why use this term? I feel we need to take a lesson from Hollywood in this aspect and learn from them. Tomb Raider, Salt, and Erin Brockovich are all movies with ladies in the lead, yet they were never called “women-centric” films. When it comes to acting, there should just be actors.
ANUSHKA: We should not focus on what it’s being called but on the fact that there is some progress that these movies are appreciated and more are being made.
SANJEEDA: People have coined this term. In my opinion, a film is a film and should remain that way. When I go for a movie, I don’t go to watch it only for the girls, or only for the guys, or only for children. It’s the entire entertainment quotient that should be taken into consideration, as that’s the basic purpose for people going to watch a movie.
With recent events in Delhi, do you believe we are at a turning point for women’s rights in South Asia? Do you think change will be more rapid now?
NEELAM: I hope so. And thanks to the media, which has created so much awareness this time around, most of these issues are highlighted and I certainly hope something is done about it soon.
GAUHAR: Honestly speaking, we are far from change. As much as we’d like to fool ourselves, until we change the psyche of a man, nothing is going to change. Although there’s free education in India, not a lot of people avail of this opportunity. People need to be educated. They need to learn to respect women. So as of now, all of this change that we’d like to see is really far off on the agenda. I hope that fear is instilled and change is brought about soon.
ANUSHKA: It is not the first time we have heard of such a sad event taking place, but the fact that there was such an outburst by the people and media this time shows that people aren’t going to tolerate such atrocities anymore. Before any change in our legal system, we have to change our mindsets and teach our boys and girls at home. Treat them as equals and teach boys more respect towards women all over the world.
SANJEEDA: I’d like to point out that these crimes have been taking place for years. It has not started happening now. Therefore creating awareness is pointless as people have known about it for quite some time. Also, I feel that programs on television showing how all these acts are carried out make no proper sense as they only give the culprits more ideas on how they can carry out their evil in the future.
I just feel that people should start protecting themselves and being careful when in public.
What projects are you currently working on?
GAUHAR: For the past two years I’ve been a part of Bollywood’s first musical, Zangoora- the Gypsy Prince, where I play the lead. We’ve done about 850 shows so far and continue to perform.
ANUSHKA: I’ve signed with a Nadiadwala production, but I’m not at liberty to discuss my project as of now.
SANJEEDA: I was working for Sahara 1 and you must look forward to a show of mine in the coming month on Zee.
How does it feel to be coming to Dubai for an event?
NEELAM: It feels absolutely great to be a part of these awards in Dubai. It’s my favorite place and it’s also so close to home. It’s a modernized version of Bombay. I love the food and the shopping. It’s culturally so rich. It’s where East meets West.
GAUHAR: It feels absolutely great to be performing in Dubai since it’s like my second home. I’ve got two sisters and a brother there, so any opportunity to go to Dubai is always welcome. Culturally Dubai is a very rich place as a lot of people from many different countries go there, which is a beautiful phenomenon.
SANJEEDA: I love dancing and Dubai is one of my most favorite places. I will be there for a few days after the event, which will allow me time for my shopping and sightseeing.
