#Shepreneurs: Women Wooing the World of Entertainment After fighting tough battles, standing still amidst raging storms, women film-makers, actresses and behind-the-scenes pillars have woven beautiful stories for the world to see
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
India has three religions-politics, cricket and Bollywood. People worship celebrities. However, every place has a dark side to it. And numerous stories and incidents have been reported that have almost stigmatized the film industry. However, the dawn comes after the dark and successful names of both women and men have exactly proven so. After fighting tough battles, standing still amidst raging storms, women film-makers, actresses and behind-the-scenes pillars have woven beautiful stories for the world to see. Entrepreneur India traces journeys of women who have wooed the entertainment world.
Alankrita Shrivastava Official FacebookAlankrita Shrivastava
Her movie, Lipstick Under My Burkha, made waves and noise that was heard in every corner of the world. She is an example of #womenpower who fought all kinds of ills that exist in society. From patriarchy to censorship, Shrivastava has a beautiful story to tell in every aspect of life.
However, the battle to reach a place where your voice is unequivocally heard is tough and Shrivastava couldn't agree more.
"My films are not star-driven, are women's stories told from a female point of view, and more independent-spirited; it's hard to get such films out in the market. You are always at someone's mercy to get them out," says Shrivastava in an interview with Aashika Jain from Entrepreneur India in 2018.
She also shared in the same interview that women have always been restricted in terms of not comprehending a life beyond the men in their lives, "In such a scenario, obviously we find that the glass ceiling in so many spheres is far from broken."
So how does a society create that wave of change? "When we unite with other women, we can create a wave of change."
However, with her movies and her strong sense of mission, she has come a long way and will go a long way!
Tapsee Pannu Official FacebookTapsee Pannu
She shook the world through by storm with her performance in the movie Pink. Pannu took some years to make a mark in the film industry but when she did, she, literally, burst into the glitzy world.
Was it all luck by chance?
"I was planning to do an MBA and then work as a marketing professional, eventually, starting some creative business by myself. But when I started acting, I started loving it and after a few years, I thought it would be nice to diversify which help me grow beyond an actor," she said in an interview with Entrepreneur India's Vanita D'souza. Pannu was also a part of Entrepreneur's 35under35 list earlier this year.
Her journey is truly unique and moreover, she added another feather to her hat when she ventured into the industry of entrepreneurship. "One of my friends Farah, who was a professional wedding planner along with my sister, who loves organizing events – it just hit me that it good to invest (in The Wedding Factory) and I don't have to be physically present the entire time."
The journey is harder that one can be aware of and Pannu couldn't agree more. One feels that a lot of is yet to come out of this sterling personality.
Anushka Sharma Official FacebookAnushka Sharma
Loud, confident, powerhouse-these are the words that come to the mind of a person when one of Bollywood's most popular names is spelt out. Actress, producer, entrepreneur and now the nation's heartthrob as her husband, we know why Sharma is who she is.
In an interview with Punita Sabharwal, Deputy Editor of Entrepreneur India, Sharma shared, "I never had any inclination to become an actress, There was a girl in my colony, who did an advertisement and I saw her pictures in magazines and everyone would look at it. I thought it to be pretty cool and decided that I should also do something like this."
From her first film which created a lot of hype to today, she has come a long way. She feels much more at ease and that is evident.
Shilpa Shetty Kundra Official FacebookShilpa Shetty Kundra
The beautiful and charming Shilpa Shetty Kundra safely says that she would rate herself seven out ten in an interview with Entrepreneur India in 2016.
She was one of the most sought after Bollywood stars in the 1990s and early 2000. Later she married and glided into the world of business so smoothly that one almost thought that she is made up for it. That is Shilpa Shetty plus the grand addition of "Kundra."
She is also an intelligent entrepreneur and found success of which she says, "I love start-ups as they are challenging, and if handled properly, pay off really well. Not saying that you will hit the bull's eye every time, but a calculated risk can give you a high reward. I always invest in people – if you don't have a confident and intelligent team, your product or service would fail not to matter how good it is."
Neha Dhupia Official FacebookNeha Dhupia
She is known for her off-beat choices. So when she became an entrepreneur, it didn't come across as a surprise to anyone.
Dhupia revealed in an interview with Entrepreneur India's Priyadarshini Patwa that becoming a producer is like owning a crèche. And her sentiments are true to her spirit. "Like an entire nursery and it has got 40 people. When you are a producer, you have to do so much people management that makes it tough. But at the end of it, it is just really rewarding and I wouldn't want to trade places with anybody else."
It is safe to say that today she is not just an entrepreneur but a mumpreneur!
