Supreme Court slams Bollywood

The Supreme Court on Monday slammed continuing gender discrimination in Bollywood, and demanded to know why women were still not being allowed to work as make-up artists despite a clear order by the court five months ago.

The court had on November 10, 2014, quashed a bylaw of the Cine Costume and Make-Up Artists and Hair Dresser Association that barred women from working as make-up artists.

Until then, women were only allowed to work as hairstylists.

"Such shocking discrimination on the basis of gender is violative of constitutional values. Earlier, the fee (for association membership) was only Rs 5,000 and now you are asking for Rs 1 lakh.

"These are clearly ways to keep women away even after our order quashed your discriminatory clause," an angry Justice Dipak Misra told the association's lawyer.

"The societal mindset must change. The male community in several spheres devise ways to keep women away from particular areas of employment," Misra added.

The court was hearing a plea filed by a group of women make-up artists, headed by Charu Khurana, after they were refused admission by the make-up artists' associations in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.