Prernaa Arora, co-producer of Akshay Kumar starrer 'PadMan' says that being a producer is not such an easy journey for a woman in Bollywood. The producer who has established her name in the industry with films like 'Toilet: Ek Prem Katha' and 'Rustom', says that as 'PadMan' is about to be unveiled, she looks towards the future, not as a female producer but as a direct competition for all producers in Bollywood. Unlike others, Prernaa had to start her journey from scratch. There were hardly any successful producers before her, in the industry.
When asked if she'd heard the name of Shabnam Kapoor, the only woman who could qualify as a successful producer before Prernaa, she said, "Yes, I've heard of her. This is a very tough job for a woman. There are no female producers per se, unless you count the actresses like Priyanka Chopra and Anushka Sharma who have turned producer after attaining success as actors." She further added, "It was straight to production for me. Luckily, I started with a superstar as disciplined and generous as Akshay Kumar sir in 'Rustom'. It can't get any better than him."
"No one is going to be extra-kind to you just because you are a woman producer. It's all for himself or herself in the entertainment industry. And I'm proud to say I am making my way through my chosen profession without having to play the feminine card," she added. Speaking about gender discrimination, she said, "One hears so much these days about women in the entertainment business being exploited. Of course, there are Harvey Weinsteins in Bollywood too. One of my ambitions is to make our film industry a safe place for women to work in."
