The best men in the world are feminists. Ultimately, we need a world where everyone realises it is insane to violate women.

Jane Fonda, the ultimate Been There-Done That cult actress born to Hollywood aristocracy, has long provided the glamorous face to anti-Establishment causes. Shining in radically apart avatars – from pin-up goddess in her earliest Barbarella days to protesting war in Vietnam – the Lee Strasberg-coached icon has essayed Oscar-winning performances in memorable movies, alongside campaigning for women’s health and gender issues. An eventful 66 years sit lightly on the one-time fitness guru, still with that unmistakable spring in her step. In Mumbai, to play in Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues, (along with Hollywood star, Marisa Tomei) which condemns violence against women, Fonda talks feminism and film with articulate flair.

During your 1960s India visit, what changed you “from hippie to activist”?

I came to India because everyone, from the Beatles to Mia Farrow, did. Reacting to poverty was construed as “just bourgeois”. The superficial became meaningful through incidents like watching the Peace Corps dig wells where they were needed. The activist in me was stirred.

When did you first associate with Eve Ensler and V-Day?

Three years ago, I saw Eve perform The Vagina Monologues and something moved me from my head to my body – most important for any man or woman. I wish this hadn’t happened so late in life, at 63. I’ve considered myself feminist for 30 years but this play proved a seminal experience. If that could happen to me, think what it does to all women who see it or perform in it. It wasn’t easy. I’m much older than Eve and Marisa. For me to say the word ‘vagina’ out loud was very scary!

How have you redefined ‘feminism’ over the years?

Rich and famous, I thought I was a feminist publicly. Yet, in my personal life I was hardly empowered. Behind the doors of three marriages I silenced myself to please my men. The media in both India and America has stereotyped feminism. True feminism is gender-neutral. The best men in the world are feminists.

You’ve often questioned the press… “Why did it take international movie stars to turn up for you to be here?” Isn’t lending issues a high-profile voice a great use of celebrity status?

It’s just that I agree with Eve’s ideal, hoping, “Wouldn’t it be brilliant, to be able to address issues of gender, war, basic human rights, without celebrities…” Ultimately, we need a world where everyone realises it is insane to violate women.

Are artistes increasingly accepting such responsibility?

Yes. Tuned in to the paradox of things, artistes have always spoken out against injustice, demanding fairness. They’re often muzzled, of course. Today, we have President Bush trying to diminish our role, attacking us as stupid and unpatriotic.

Which films come closest to portraying issues of priority?

Among many, I’d pick Coming Home, The China Syndrome, Nine to Five, On Golden Pond, Klute and Julia. Except for the last two, I produced these besides acting in them.