Ashika Ranganath responds to the on-screen age gap and breaks her silence on being paired with older actors.
Entertainment: One of the most talked-about topics in the film-going community today is the age gap between actors and actresses. Since the beginning of the 20th century, a significant age difference between lead actors and actresses was common, with actresses often being much younger. At the time, this didn’t attract much criticism due to prevailing social norms and the way relationships were portrayed on screen.
Over the years, generations and mindsets have changed. However, many senior stars are still working with much younger actresses, which has drawn criticism from some sections of the audience who dislike such pairings. Opinions are divided even within the industry. While some actors and actresses consider it purely a professional acting choice, others have expressed their discomfort with large age gaps in on-screen pairings.
Ashika Ranganath, who gained popularity in Kannada cinema, is now venturing into Telugu films. She has worked with stars like Kalyan Ram, Nagarjuna, Chiranjeevi, and Ravi Teja, most of whom are considerably older than her. Her upcoming film, Bharta Mahasayulaku Vignapti, stars Ravi Teja. At a press meet held on Saturday, the topic of Ashika being paired with older actors came up, following which she shared her perspective.
Speaking at the event, Ashika said, “I look at my work from an actor’s perspective and focus on how versatile I can be. In Bharta Mahasayulaku Vignapti, my character is young and modern, while in Naa Saami Ranga with Nagarjuna Garu, I played a more mature role. I look for versatility. I don’t focus on the age category of the actor; I focus on how well I fit into the role and how convincingly I can portray the character. It doesn’t matter if it’s a young hero’s film or a senior hero’s film. What matters to me is what my role contributes to the story.” Actress Dimple Hayathi, who was present at the press meet, also agreed with Ashika’s views. She said that she looks for versatility in roles and doesn’t consider age to be a problem, adding that working with senior actors is a learning opportunity. Several actresses have shared similar opinions in the past. Recently, actor Karthi, who worked with Krithi Shetty in Va Vaathiyar, also stated that when choosing roles, he focuses solely on the characters and the story, rather than age.
