IIFA 2025: Madhuri Dixit and Guneet Monga on ageism, gender disparity and pay gap

Madhuri Dixit and Guneet Monga discuss women's evolution in Indian cinema, gender disparity, and breaking stereotypes at IIFA.

At the ongoing IIFA awards in Jaipur, veteran actor Madhuri Dixit and Oscar-winning producer Guneet Monga sat down for a free-wheeling chat about the evolution of women in Indian cinema. Apart from sharing their personal stories on how it was to make it to the top in a male-dominated industry, the personalities also shared their thoughts on topics like gender disparity, the pay gap, and more.

Madhuri Dixit: There used to be a time when the only women in a set would be me, my co-actors and hairdressers. There were no women in other departments and we had very few women directors; Sai Paranjpye is the only name I knew back then. When I came back, it was heartening to see women in all departments.

Madhuri Dixit: I often get asked how life was before I got married but I was working multiple shifts back then. I started living my life after getting married and having kids. I have a wonderful partner and we share a lot of things apart from cinema. All of life experiences make you a better actor and that’s what I felt when I came back.

Guneet Monga: I come from a very humble Delhi family and we used to live in a Rs 5000 a month rented house in Faridabad. I moved to Mumbai just to become a producer. The idea was to fall in love with stories, find the money and the actors, make the film, release it, distribute it and take it to the world. I’m glad I was able to do it with films like Gangs of Wasseypur, The Lunchbox, Masaan, Pagglait, Kathal and recently Kill.

Something I definitely faced was ageism. As a 21-year-old, I had troubles finding people who would fund my movies. Being a woman was never something that I thought was a problem. Years later and thanks to the #MeToo movement, I learnt terms like gaslighting. Discrimination is not my problem, it’s somebody else’s problem that they don’t want to talk to me. I just wanted the job to be done. I remember colouring my hair white, and wearing sarees and spectacles when I was 26 just trying to push.

Guneet Monga: Nobody cares about the independent; because of lack of access, we don’t know our limits. What we believe is in the power of asking. With indie, you don’t care about the rules of the business. The space gave me the opportunity to work with incredible actors, great crew and a lot of first-time directors. Commercial cinema is bonded with its rules and to do indie films feel liberating. Anora winning at the Oscars is a celebration of independent cinema. It’s the era of such cinema.

Guneet Monga: We live in an echo chamber filled with great work partners, aware and evolved men. There’s a world past this that’s not as empowered which we need to hold hands with and encompass. Be it Pagglait, Kathal or even Soorarai Pottru, many films are female-led and these films have wonderful women characters; even a testosterone-heavy film like Kill did.