Genelia D’Souza Calls Out Industry Bias, Gears Up for 'Sitaare Zameen Par' with Aamir Khan

Actor Genelia D’Souza is all set to return to the big screen with Sitaare Zameen Par, headlined by Aamir Khan and slated for release on June 20. In a candid conversation with FilmyMantra, the actor opened up about how the industry has overlooked her post-marriage and expressed her thoughts on age-appropriate casting in Bollywood.

“When people got to know I’m doing Sitaare Zameen Par, everybody said, ‘Oh my god! So lucky! You’re doing an Aamir Khan film!’ I said, of course, that’s Aamir sir’s bigness that he saw something in me. Of course, he made me audition. But you could also do that, right? You could also offer me a role," Genelia shared.

The Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na actor did not shy away from addressing the subtle sidelining that married female actors often face in the film industry. “But you go as per the norms. Maybe you think I’m married, so I don’t need this character. I just feel filmmaking has changed, and so should our mentality,” she said.

Genelia emphasized the importance of authentic casting, especially when portraying characters of a specific age and experience. “It’s very important that if you want a character of a certain age, you should cast someone of that age. When we cast an actor who’s much younger than the character I played, they can’t understand the little-little things of it. It’s important to cast right. And I hope opportunities go everyone’s way," she added.

Directed by Shubh Mangal Saavdhan helmer RS Prasanna, Sitaare Zameen Par also stars Dolly Ahluwalia, Aroush Datta, Gopi Krishna Varma, Samvit Desai, Vedant Sharma, Ayush Bhansali, Ashish Pendse, Rishi Shahani, Rishabh Jain, Naman Mishra, and Simran Mangeshkar in key roles.

The film’s soundtrack features lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya with music by the celebrated trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. The screenplay is penned by Divy Nidhi Sharma. Sitaare Zameen Par is jointly produced by Aamir Khan and Aparna Purohit, with Ravi Bhagchandka also serving as a producer.

Genelia’s return marks not just a new chapter in her filmography, but a strong statement about visibility and fairness for women in the industry.