The Manthan 2025 event in Noida was a fantastic gathering, especially for fans of Amazon Prime’s hit series ‘Paatal Lok Season 2’. Organized on January 28th and hosted by Pooja Sharma Rathore, the event featured a fun and engaging discussion with the talented actors Jaideep Ahlawat and Tillotama Shome. They shared their experiences from the show and discussed how streaming platforms are transforming the entertainment landscape. The audience had the opportunity to interact with the stars, making it a truly memorable experience.
Tillotama Shome Talks About Feminism
During the interview, she was asked about feminism and how it reflects in her stories and the strong characters she portrays on screen. So, she was questioned whether she’s looking to take on a different role or if she’s enjoying these current roles. She confidently replied, “Ofc I enjoy it, but I’m very particular as I would do only a few projects in my lifetime. So, in those films, if I can portray women who are real, well-rounded, complex, and professional, then I would have done something to take forward the many women who have come before me. For me, it is very important, even for Meghna Barua; she said something in the show to Ishak, his junior and told him that I know it’s not easy to take orders from women, but get used to it. So now something like this is just a very small line, and it’s done in a very subtle way.”
Talking about the role a woman plays in a manly world, she further added, “A woman who works in a man’s world must prove herself. When you play a woman like that, you are expanding society’s understanding of women at work, and I love the fact that she is a busy mother and professional. She may not be the perfect mother, but she is doing her best. She does choose to follow the lead instead of going home, and I think that what people in public service do often without us appreciating them or noticing them that they don’t get to go back home and be a perfect mother or father, as she has to protect the rest of us.”
Tillotama Describes Feminism
When asked whether her thoughts on feminism were drawn from her own experiences, she thoughtfully responded, “The character of Hathi Ram in Pataal Lok Season 2 is not this Alpha Male. He is a man with lots of sensibility and vulnerability, so I don’t think feminism is about just bold women who are smoking and drinking and using cuss words; that’s not feminism. I think the portrayal of real men and women with complexities is what is attractive, and I also feel, and we know, that we live in a very, very patriarchal society, so I don’t want to play women that underline that patriarchy. I would like to play women who are far from perfect but at least challenged or questioned that patriarchy. If I can do this much and, that is my only criteria in choosing something that let me not continue this inequality.”
Her response was met with great enthusiasm from the audience, and everyone applauded her for providing such courageous answers.
Tillotama On A-List And B-List Hierarchy
During the interview, when Tillotama was questioned about the split in the Bollywood industry between A-list and B-list actors, and if she had ever missed out on a role because of another actor’s connections or popularity, she answered with confidence. “If I have lost a job because of A B C D…..L, then I don’t know about it, but I do know how to recite the alphabet from A to Z. Where you, the directors and producers, choose to place me in front of which alphabet is up to you, I don’t want to reduce myself to an alphabet.”
Watch The Full Interview Here:
