Judge actresses on the basis of their work, not on the basis of their gender: Priyanka Chopra

New Delhi: Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra, who is playing Olympic-winning boxer Mary Kom in a biopic, says she does not like the term 'female-centric' in films as people should judge movies on the basis of content rather than on the gender of the protagonist.

The 32-year-old actress feels gender bias exists in Bollywood and media because people put unnecessary focus on a film with an actress in the lead, taking away attention from her performance and talent.

"I hate this term 'female-centric' because it is demeaning to an actress and her hard work. There is no hype about male-centric movies, but if an actress is in the lead, it all becomes different and special.

"I don't like that special treatment. Judge us on the basis of our performance and work, not on the basis of our gender. Treat our films as good or bad films like you do with films with a male lead," Priyanka told PTI in an interview.

The National award-winning actress says gender discrimination is prevalent in the country and Bollywood adds to it by treating actresses differently than male actors.

"Girls are already devalued in our country. This exists everywhere, in every field. And now in films, we are not treated equally, make hoopla around an actress if she plays the protagonist in a film. "I think as a public icon and person, I should remove gender bias from my system because if we don't then how can we expect the whole country to do that?," said the 'Fashion' star.

Priyanka, also said that though her latest film 'Mary Kom' is about a female athlete's struggle to bring India on the world map, it is for everyone, irrespective of the gender.

"It is about empowerment. I would not say it is for women or girls. It can inspire anyone. It is about the youth and how they can rise above all odds and difficulties and do good for themselves because I feel there are so many around us who try to pull us down, but we should keep fighting. 'Mary Kom' shows that undying spirit, so it caters to all," the actress said.

Directed by Omung Kumar the movie released in theatres today.