People in industry don't take women actor-turned-producers seriously, says Lara Dutta

Actor Lara Dutta says the Hindi film industry is still male-driven and doesn't take women actors and producers seriously.

The actor said it has been over 15 years since she joined movies and the wide-ranging conversations around pay disparity and gender inclusivity have started only recently.

"Our industry has always been male-driven and male-dominated. There have been interesting conversations that have started in the last few years, including pay disparity, more inclusion.

"But as a woman I've faced (not being taken seriously) on many different levels: as an actor and especially as a producer," Lara told PTI.

The actor, who made her debut as a producer with "Chalo Dilli" in 2011, said people in showbiz don't invest their trust in women producers, specifically when it comes to the business aspect.

"No commercial actors were producing their own films when I started. That trend caught on later and today, you have a lot more turning producer, like Anushka (Sharma), Deepika (Padukone).

But a lot of times I feel people are very happy to listen to the creative ideas that you have, but not necessarily the business side of things. So they're constantly looking over your shoulder. You face it pretty much everyday."
"In the police force, especially the women police officers I interacted with... it's not just dealing with this kind of stuff for them. A lot of the women told us that there was no space left for any kind of femininity. The last thing we want them to say is 'oh she's grumpy because she's on her periods.'