‘Gender-neutral awards should become the norm’

Mumbai: The Berlin International Film Festival has declared that performance awards will be gender-neutral from next year and Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana has hailed the decision. He says gender divisions only highlight long prevalent divisive nature of societies.

 The Berlin International Film Festival last month announced they have decided to make all awards in acting categories genderneutral. Ayushmann said: “I wholeheartedly laud the Berlin Film Festival’s decision to award gender-neutral recognitions and Ihope all film festivals across the world and India follow suit. We are all actors at the end of the day and gender divisions only highlight the long prevalent divisive nature of societies.” He added, “Thus, it is important that gender-neutral awards should become the norm when it comes to adjudicating the best work in a year.”

Ayushmann feels films and stars can do their bit to keep such conversations alive and help achieve gender parity in society. “Gender divisions are too deeprooted and the film industry can do its bit to champion change. Gendered awards, according to me, are outdated and should be scrapped.”

He hopes that all award functions in India to seriously look at this inevitable trend. “I seriously hope all award functions in India take a step in the right direction and do what is the most obvious thing towards having a more progressive society. For me, good performances are good performances and they should be seen without the gender lens,” said Ayushmann.