Actress Jyotika recently shared her thoughts on the challenges she faced in the film industry, particularly the struggle of being sidelined in male-centric projects despite her experience and success.
In a conversation about the most difficult reality she had to accept in the industry, Jyotika told Bollywood Bubble, “I think after doing a number of films, you are called by big production houses to just stand by a large male actor. A place where you’re not given a concrete role enough, and you know, you wonder why they come to you. I think that’s quite a hard pill to swallow because you think you’ve been there and done it, but still, you don’t know why you’re being treated as a sidekick. So, I think that’s something which is very demeaning.”
Jyotika will soon be seen in Dabba Cartel, an upcoming web series produced by Excel Entertainment and directed by Hitesh Bhatia. Featuring an ensemble cast including Shabana Azmi, Gajraj Rao, Nimisha Sajayan, Shalini Pandey, Saie Tamhankar, Jisshu Sengupta, and Lillete Dubey, the series is set to premiere on February 28.

At the trailer launch, Shabana Azmi made a surprising revelation that she initially wanted changes in the cast, including replacing Jyotika. However, she later admitted that keeping Jyotika in the project was the right decision and praised her performance.

“I have to make a confession. I tried to remove two girls from this (show). One is Jyotika. She doesn’t know this, but I said this. It’s really creditable to these guys who said, ‘You can do what you want. We are not going to replace her.’ And, I am grateful that you (pointing to Jyotika) played it. It was my mistake. It would have robbed me of the pleasure of working with you,” Shabana said at the trailer launch.