Great time for women in cinema but it's still a man's world, says Sushmita Sen

Sushmita Sen, who is returning to TV as a judge for Comedy Superstar (she was last seen on Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena in 2008) has plans to make a comeback to Bollywood, too. She recently finished shooting for a Bengali film Nirbaak, which she says was a “wonderful way of breaking the inertia”. Here, the actress talks about films and her eventual return to the big screen.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who was once considered your rival, is making a comeback to movies...
Why just Aishwarya? Even Kajol is coming back with a fabulous film. Earlier, Sridevi did an amazing job. Even Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla have returned to films. It is embarrassing to say it’s a comeback though because it’s an art they have polished; acting is something that one never forgets, just like driving and swimming. They had other priorities in their lives, which they concentrated on. Now that they are done with that, they have returned to their craft to enjoy themselves.

Any plans to return to films?
I recently did my first Bengali film Nirbaak and it was a fun way to break the inertia and go back to doing something I used to do. It made me understand how much I missed it.

It’s the best time for heroines as women-centric films are being made.
Absolutely. It’s still a man’s world, though, as distribution rights are still done in a certain way in India. But yes, scripts with women in mind are being written. It’s a good thing that girls like Vidya Balan and Kangana Ranaut are making women-centric films come alive. It’s a great time to be a part of  cinema. More power to women.
 
Even biopics are in vogue. A few years ago, you’d launched Rani Laxmibai, which you later stalled. Planning to revisit it now?
I know biopics are doing well, but I wanted to make Rani Laxmibai at a particular budget, which for a women-centric film was difficult to fund then. However, I lived with the character for two-and-a-half years; it has taken up a lot of time and patience. I don’t think the time is right now. However, it won’t go to waste. I’ve bought the rights from Jayashree Mishra and will make it sometime later. Right now, I want to initiate my acting before getting into production.  

Among the newbies, who do you find promising?
Alia Bhatt blew my mind with Highway. That girl hasn’t ceased to amaze me. She is incredible.