Jyotika reveals how her acting career changed after giving birth and turning 28; ‘Haven't worked with a star...’

Jyotika shares her experiences regarding the challenges she has encountered in the Tamil film industry, where the issue of aging persists and equal opportunities for women remains a far-off aspiration.

By Srijony Das

Published on Mar 01, 2025 | 05:20 PM IST | 7.3K

Jyotika reveals how her acting career changed after giving birth and turning 28 (PC: Jyotika on IG)

Jyotika has been a part of the film industry for many years now, working in both Tamil and Hindi cinema. She has acted in numerous movies in both languages, and her fan following needs no introduction. Recently, the actress opened up about the challenges she has faced, particularly in Kollywood.

Speaking with Fever FM, Jyotika highlighted that aging on-screen is a significant issue in Tamil cinema, making it nearly impossible for an actress to continue receiving mainstream roles as she grows older.

She revealed that after having children at the age of 28, she was no longer offered leading roles in Tamil cinema alongside major actors.

The actress pointed out that this age-related bias had a concrete impact on her career, as she was just beginning to establish herself at the time.

Jyotika said, “In fact, I think I haven't worked with a star or a hero after 28. It’s a huge challenge because then you are building your career entirely with new directors, on your own. It’s all about the age factor. It’s even more difficult because there’s another major issue in the Tamil industry. I wouldn’t say this applies to all South Indian languages.”

Continuing the conversation, Jyotika recalled how, during her earlier years in the industry, there were very few filmmakers willing to invest in stories centered around women.

She added that usually, most films were male centric, directed by male directors and would not cover topics and themes which narrated women’s stories. Jyotika highlighted that the directors preferred stories which were mass appealing, since they already had a strict budget to follow.

In her words, “I don’t think we have had a major filmmaker create a film for a female lead. I think that’s something we are truly lacking. We are budget-restricted. That’s a significant challenge—age being one, and the second being the lack of seasoned filmmakers telling stories from a woman’s perspective. A woman's journey in the South, I feel, is extremely tough because it’s a battle she’s fighting all alone.”

In other news, Jyotika has been busy promoting her new project, Dabba Cartel.