Unrealistic to compare shelf-life of heroes and heroines: Preity Zinta

Preity Zinta says if female actors devote as much time as their male counterparts to the film career, it would be possible for heroines to have a longer shelf-life.

The 43-years-old actor said the fact that the society is still patriarchal makes it tough for women to pursue their careers and same is the case with movie stars.

"If a female actor dedicates that many years then she would also (get that kind of stardom). Lot of actresses get married, have children, take a break. I personally took quite a few years of break. One has to compare apples to apples. You can't compare apples to oranges. The moment an actress gets married and has children she is taking care of the children, she is out of circulation," Preity told PTI in an interview.

"Having said that, it is a patriarchal society but the real test of time will be with newer bunch of actors who is getting married and still working, to see how things go. It is unrealistic to compare heroes and heroines as their lifespan is different," she added.

The actor believes the approach towards women has changed both on- and off-screen today.

"Who would have thought 'Veere Di Wedding' with all women do Rs 90 crore (business)? Nobody. It is the most exciting time for an actor like me as well. There are interesting roles out there and I would not like to do what I did 20 years ago. I want to grow and do progressive roles."