Diana: Men play heroes at 60, women get mom roles at 30

Diana Penty has voiced her concerns about the prevalent double standards in Bollywood, where female actors are often valued more for their appearance than their acting abilities. She highlighted how women are frequently typecast into maternal roles as they age, while male actors continue to play leading roles well into their later years.

Diana Penty recently spoke out against Bollywood’s long-standing double standards, pointing out how female stars are often judged more for their looks than their talent, pushed aside once they hit their 30s, and offered roles that don’t truly showcase their skills.

Show mirrors real-life bias

Talking to Hindustan Times, Diana shared about her character in her upcoming show where she may be skilled at her work, but she’s still treated as nothing more than the attractive face and even asked to just smile. The actress admits that this mirrors real life too. She explained how female actors are often introduced on stage only with compliments about their looks—words like beautiful, stunning, or gorgeous—while their talent and craft are rarely highlighted. For her, it’s flattering but also limiting. She believes women deserve to be recognised not just for how they look, but for the performances and hard work they bring to the table.

A playful scene with a deeper meaning

A fun scene in the show sees Diana and Tamannaah Bhatia taking on Neeraj Kabi’s liquor baron character. Tamannaah, who plays someone in her 30s, teasingly calls his 50-something character ‘uncle.’ But instead of brushing it off, he cheekily fires back by calling her ‘aunty.’ Diana says this playful moment isn’t just for laughs—it also mirrors real life, where plenty of men struggle to gracefully accept their age.

Double standards in film roles

When told how male actors often continue playing heroes well into their 60s, while women in their 30s are usually cast as mothers. Diana immediately pointed out how quickly female stars get slotted into ‘mother of three’ roles. She explained that it’s not something she tries to fight—because the system seems to work the way it is, and everyone in the industry accepts it. Instead, she believes the best way forward is to quietly make choices about the kind of work she wants to be part of, rather than trying to change a status quo that’s deeply rooted.