Alia Bhatt’s Girl Rising starts a talk about actresses around the world who are raising their voice for gender equality

Actresses today are well beyond 'playing glam dolls.' They are portraying characters that are more than just being a 100-villain-fighting hero’s arm candy. In India and in global film industries, we are beginning to see the change. Of late in Bollywood, the likes of Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut, Vidya Balan, Kalki Koechlin who have done movies like Mary Kom, Queen, Kahani, Margarita With A Straw respectively have upped the quotient of actresses in a significant way by producing strong characters on screen. Many producers are finally better on the woman-hero. A newcomer to join the league of some such actresses is the 22-year-old actress Alia Bhatt.

Alia launched a short film called Girl Rising: Wo Padhegi Wo Udegi which focuses on the issue of girl education. The film is directed by Academy Award-nominated director Richard E Robbins. The “Highway” actor talked about the deep issue of child sexual abuse that she tried to bring about through her character Veera Tripathi in the movie.

"The cause that we tried to talk about is sometimes physical abuse happens in your own home, it is a harsh reality which we don't want to face. It was deeply disturbing as I got to play that character and to understand what a girl might go through in her own house," said Alia in the event, as reported by DNA.

Alia Bhatt: Pic by Indian Express

The three-movie-old actress in the industry points out that her mother has always been concerned about the education of their servants’ daughters and used to pay for it all the time, so her lessons come from her mother. Also, her father, Mahesh Bhatt, encourages her to use her popularity in the right direction and for the causes. Mahesh Bhatt has always been a man having strong opinions about critical issues of the country.

The actress wants to bring a change through this movie and urges everyone to educate their daughters.  “To secure and nurture your family there is some education required. That is why promoting education, especially girl education in our country is important,” said Alia at the event, states DNA.

Priyanka Chopra, Frieda Pinto, Madhuri Dixit, Kareena Kapoor, Nandita Das, Sushmita Sen and Parineeti Chopra are some of the others to lend their voices in the movie, apart from Alia, who voices Yasmin in the film. It will be screened on Star Plus on August 29 at 1.30 p.m.

On the Hollywood front as well actresses are playing strong characters. Legendary actress, Meryl Streep is acting in a feminist movie called Suffragette. Not just on screen, she is a real feminist off screen too as she wrote a letter to all the members of the Congress insisting equal rights for men and women.

“Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex,” said the amendment, as reported in Hypable.

The diversity of issues that these eminent women are dealing with is just extraordinary. Actresses are coming out as crusaders of change and to help the fellow women, who probably do not get enough opportunities. Here's a big salute to all these actresses who are making good use of their popularity and success.

Photo Credit- The Quint