Actor Kriti Sanon has opened up about gender bias in the Hindi film industry, saying female actors are often held to different standards than their male counterparts and are frequently taken for granted on film sets.

Speaking to Lilly Singh on her YouTube channel, Sanon reflected on her career and described Bollywood as the most challenging environment she has worked in, despite previous experience in modelling and engineering.

She said that when she entered the industry, opportunities for women were significantly more limited, with many mainstream films revolving around male protagonists while female characters were often confined to romantic roles.

Although she believes the industry has made progress by creating more substantial roles for women, Sanon said gender-based disparities remain.

The actor also pointed to differences in how male and female performers are treated during production. She said assistant directors often appear more hesitant when dealing with male stars, whereas female actors are expected to be more accommodating.

Sanon added that she is known for asking questions about her characters and scenes, but said women who seek clarification are more likely to be labelled as “difficult” or accused of asking too many questions, while similar behaviour from male actors is generally accepted.