In a recent interview, Meenakshi Seshadri opened up about how she was removed from the film, 'Damini' after she rejected Rajkumar Santoshi's marriage proposal.
Veteran actress, Meenakshi Seshadri was one of the leading actresses in the Hindi film industry in the 90s. For the unversed, she was also the youngest Indian to be crowned Miss India at the age of 17. Meenakshi married Harish Mysore, an investment banker from the US, in 1995. After her marriage, the actress shifted her base to the US and took a break from the film industry. Meenakshi and Harish are blessed with two beautiful kids, Josh and Kendra.
Meenakshi Seshadri is well-known for her role in Rajkumar Santoshi’s 1993 film, Damini. The actress, who gave a critically acclaimed performance, faced many difficulties during the film's shooting. In a recent interview with Zoom, Meenakshi revealed that though she was cast in the movie initially, she was later removed from the film after she refused Santoshi’s marriage proposal. She said:
"I was cast and started shooting for a movie called Damini and there were issues. I was asked to step out of the movie. And other very leading actresses were offered the role instead of me and they all supported me, and said, 'No. We feel something is very wrong if we accept this proposal. We cannot do it. Either she continues or really sorry, we can't oblige.' That was the time when my respect for each of them shot up."
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Speaking along the same lines, Meenakshi said that she and Santoshi had decided not to talk about the matter, but she wanted to take a stand for herself. She recalled how she had to deal with all of it by staying silent as she thought it was below her dignity to turn the matter into a fight. She recalled:
“Santoshi ji and I decided not to talk about it. It is water under the bridge. But the courage to stand up was important because nobody should be told they aren’t required anymore. It had several implications for rules in the workforce and beyond. I dealt with it by keeping quiet. I just said that I will choose not to comment on this as it is below my dignity to turn this into a fight. This is not a fight.”
However, Meenakshi stood up for what she believed in because she wanted to send a strong message to the film fraternity and the audience. Finally, she was able to return to the project with support from the Producers Guild. Talking about the same, she said:
“I stood up for what I believe in, and if things were going to work out, we would work together as a team. That was the message I wanted to give to the film fraternity and the audiences. I was there to make a great film, and Damini was definitely going to be that. I respect all the people involved with the film, especially Santoshi ji because his vision was tremendous. Ultimately, they say action speaks louder than words, so the Producers Guild, the Artists Guild, all came together to make it happen.”
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In 2023, Meenakshi Sheshadri returned back to her homeland, and in an interview with the ETimes, she opened up about her desire to return to the film business. Talking about the same, she said that she wants to act again, as she feels that something has been missing from her life. When she was asked if there were any specific genres or character types that she would want to work on, Meenakshi responded that she was open to experimenting with anything, considering her versatile work history.
What are your views on Meenakshi Seshadri's revelations? Let us know.
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