Women need to have more representation in films: Sonam Kapoor

From 'Neerja' to 'Pman' to her latest 'Ek Lki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga' Sonam Kapoor has me some unconventional choices in her career and actor says her aim is to support stories which have strong women representation.  

While 'Neerja' was story of slain flight attendant Neerja Bhat, 'Pman' talked about menstrual hygiene and it was her character who helped protagonist (Akshay Kumar) to make low-cost sanitary napkins. 'Veere Di Wedding' revolved around four contemporary Indian women and with 'Ek Lki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga' she became first A-list actor to have played a homosexual character. 

"Women need to have more representation in this film industry. Women don't have it. Last year we have h 'Veere Di Wedding' and 'Raazi' doing well commercially. re should be more women representation in terms of le, more thought and content for m. re are talented women in film industry here, who have also achieved stardom and it all should be used in right way," Sonam told PTI.  

RE: Ranveer Singh’s Quirky Outfit Makes Helines As ‘Gully Boy’ Screens At Berlin Film Festival

actor, who me her debut in films with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Saawariya' and starred in a few cliche romantic dramas, shifted her focus to content driven projects with Aanand L Rai's 'Raanjhanaa'. She n featured in films like 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' and 'Khoobsurat' among ors. 

Sonam believes with content becoming hero of film, re is 'safe' or 'unsafe' zone for actors. 

She said, "What is playing safe? I have done commercial films and y did t do well at all. And some of my films that were t commercial did well. I am wondering what is safe today?" 

"Today we have films heed by Ayushmann Khurrana, Vicky Kaushal and Rajkummar Rao and y are so successful. body kws what audience is going to like or t like at this point. re is formula. only thing that works is honesty, integrity and a good story," she ded.  

'Ek Lki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga', which released on February 1, has minted about Rs 20 crore and Sonam is happy with critical appreciation. 

RE: After Manmohan Singh, w A Biopic On Rahul Gandhi, ‘My Name Is RaGa’, Watch Teaser

"I think commercially we are going in right direction. I wish it was a wider release, we only released it in 1,000 screens. With kind of response we are getting and due to word-of-mouth if we h a wider release we would have h better numbers. It was producer's call. This is a film that should reach more people. It has exceeded expectation of producer and next time y will have a wider release for a film like this," she said.

She furr revealed film will be released on a digital platform with an aim to expand reach. 33-year-old actor said response to movie on a broer level is a tiny step towards acceptance.

"It is too early to celebrate anything as re is a long way to go. We are constantly stereotyping people in film industry and it is important to move away from that and making sure labels are disabled." 

RE: Mahesh Anand, Kwn For Negative Roles In Amitabh Bachchan, Govinda Starrers, Found De Under Mysterious Circumstances

Sonam believes Indians are liberal and progressive people and cinema should be used in right way to make common aware. 

"We need to have some kind of representation of certain things through art, cinema. I want to be part of films like that. I want to be responsible for choices I make, if you are t responsible you are t an artist. Art is one way through which you can make people change way y think," she ded.