One positive outcome of the popularity of the OTT platform is the fact that it has given many heroines
a second run.
Of course, heroes never age, and even in the 70s and 80s ‘uncle’-aged heroes cavorted gaily with teenage heroines, with the audience looking right through the generation gap without batting an eyelid.
Heroines, on the other hand, were seen as perishable goods and shown their place on the shelf or, in the cases of those who would and could not be ignored, handed roles that promoted them to aunt or mother to the heroes who had romanced them a few years earlier.
Even as one delights in the fact that many of our talented women are back on the screen taking on gritty roles that showcase their calibre as the formula films seldom did, one aspect of how they are presented rankles. Recently watching a gripping crime series, which had two well-loved actresses in meaty roles, it was distracting to see the subtlety of their expressions, the nuances expressed by the thoughts that crossed their mind, or their unspoken responses to the actions and words of others marred by poor makeup.
True, one portrayed a grandmother, but was there any reason to add lines to the sides of her mouth, and generally ensure her face was dragged downwards to represent age? It rung false, because she dressed well, walked with a firm step and in fact was a commanding figure in the household. Yet, her face was done up in a decidedly unflattering way. Ditto, the other younger woman who also played a mature senior’s role. The foundation was caked and too white; it dried her skin, added lines where they are none in real life, and where there was no reason for lines to be added.
I could not help mentioning this to both the actresses, and one of them explained the possible reason why, saying that not all makeup men had learnt to handle the demands of the OTT platform, and senior actresses did not get the best makeup men. “We had to make do with the company makeup man, which was not so good, while the heroine had a makeup girl with 25 brushes, and other little things, who hovered around her all the time,” I was told.
Being fair to the makeup artiste though, the actress added that perhaps workshops were necessary to upgrade the skills of those makeup men who had no formal training in the art, had learnt by watching others at work, and were allotted to senior actresses.
Fair enough. But there’s still the fact that the lighting and lens are aimed to flatter younger faces and are half-hearted when it comes to focusing on older women. Poor lighting can destroy the most perfect face, and the way the two actresses were lit was anything but complimentary. The camera lens is unforgiving, and kindness, not carelessness is required.
And then, I have a bone to pick with the advertising world too. Spending many zereos on their 30-second creations, but never stopping to think about stereotyping. Ok, ok, some change has come in gender roles, but the old woman is still simply old, beaten, crying; face lined with the sorrows of lonely widowhood. She smiles only when a young man, woman or child introduces her to the new gadget, product or service that will change her life.
Phew. For heaven’s sake. Dear directors et al, look around you. Most mothers of grownup children and grandmas today wear MAC, have coiffured hair and are zooming around on women-only tours. When will the screens acknowledge the change?
Sathya Saran
Author & Consulting Editor, Penguin Random House
saran.sathya@gmail.com