Punjabi actor Sonam Bajwa, who made her Bollywood debut with Housefull 5, has addressed criticism over the film’s portrayal of women, emphasizing that she has no regrets about her choice. Despite some backlash for objectifying female characters and limiting women’s narrative roles, Sonam highlighted that entering Hindi cinema through a major franchise gave her exposure alongside stars like Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, and Riteish Deshmukh.
In an interview with News18 Showsha, she said, “I’m not here to sit and judge why some people are saying these things. They absolutely have the right to express their opinions. But audiences do watch films where girls look extremely glamorous and don’t have the same weight in scenes when compared to the male actors.” She explained that she went into the project fully aware of the ensemble nature of the Housefull franchise and accepted that male leads would dominate the screen, viewing it as a reasonable trade-off for a debut.
Looking ahead, Sonam shared that her upcoming film Ek Deewani Ki Deewaniyat will offer a more intense, performance-driven role, allowing her to showcase a broader acting range. She reflected on the broader challenges women face in Bollywood, noting that strategic choices and patience are often necessary before getting roles that highlight full potential.
To illustrate her point, Sonam invoked Alia Bhatt’s career, explaining how Alia started with a conventional, glamorous role in Student of the Year before gradually taking on more complex, demanding performances that established her as a versatile actor.