'Many women uphold a male-dominated society': Jaya on patriarchy in cinema

After a long hiatus, Shakib Khan and Jaya Ahsan have reunited on screen for the film "Taandob", which has become a talking point since its release this Eid-ul-Azha. Ahead of the film's premiere, Jaya praised Shakib during a press conference, and once again, in a recent interview with Kolkata-based daily Anandabazar, the actress lauded the Dhallywood star.

Currently in Kolkata for the shooting of the sequel to "Ardhangini", directed by Kaushik Ganguly, Jaya also announced the release of her upcoming film "Dear Maa". Directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, the film is set to hit theatres on July 18.

In her interview with Anandabazar, Jaya addressed various topics. When asked, "Is it only Shakib Khan who reigns over Bangladeshi cinema? Has Dhallywood's entertainment scene become largely influenced by him?" 

Jaya responded, "Shakib has improved through his own merit. He has a huge fan base—people genuinely love him. Life will always have its share of turmoil, but instead of reacting, Shakib answers everything through his work. I have witnessed it myself. Like me, he believes in action over words. I respect him for that."

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She also spoke on the patriarchal nature of the film industry. "Yes, the industry is male-dominated—it mirrors our societal structure. What's more unfortunate is that many women support this patriarchal system. They view society through the male gaze. This is our misfortune. Whether in Bangladesh or West Bengal, you'll see the same pattern. While such a structure is undesirable, we try to speak out against it through our work as much as possible," said the actress.