‘Bollywood wasn’t ready for me’; how Mallika Sherawat faced the industry's brutal backlash
Mallika Sherawat recently opened up about the negativity she faced from Bollywood veterans after the sensational success of her film Murder; read below
In a recent podcast episode, Ranveer Allahbadia sat down with Mallika Sherawat, the actress who shattered Bollywood's demure stereotype of the ideal woman in the early 2000s. While their conversation covered a wide range of topics, from her views on feminism to her interactions with international icons, most notably, they delved into her groundbreaking influence on the Hindi film industry and the negativity she faced after the release of Murder (2004).
The actor skyrocketed to fame due to her bold film choices, with movies like Khwahish (2003) and Murder as part of her repertoire. These films were often talked about for their daring scenes and reflecting on the aftermath of Murder, Mallika shared how the boldness of her role took aback people within the industry.
“They were very condescending to me on my face. There are a few very big actresses, whose name I won’t take, but they were all condescending to me on my face,” she said during her chat with Ranveer.“They would say, ‘So many sl*ts in Bollywood, one more’. There was a lot of sl*t-shaming. They wanted me to feel ashamed of myself and the bold scenes I did. In a way, they wanted me to feel ashamed of the success of Murder,” she added. In an emotional recollection, she also shared how their harsh words drove her to confide in her mentor, Mahesh Bhatt for support.
Another negative thing that came out of the success of the film was that it also led to misperceptions about her off-screen persona. “One of the negative things happened to me after all this is that men thought, ‘If she can do such bold scenes on-screen, why will she object to come with us?’ I had to deal with this a lot. People forget that your personal life and professional life are two different things. It was a big hurdle for me and it still is,” she said. The actor also highlighted how, at the time, the cultural environment wasn’t prepared for a film like Murder. “The culture wasn’t ready for me back then, and it wasn’t ready for Murder either. Only now has Bollywood caught up to where I was in 2004,” she said.
Mallika Sherawat may have been labelled and judged, but her role in Murder undeniably set the stage for a new type of heroine — one who was daring and unapologetic. “At that time, actresses were expected to follow a certain code of conduct. They were shy, while I was unapologetic. With Murder, a femme fatale was introduced,” said the actor. “A film doesn’t become a massive hit solely because of skin-show. Women connected with the story, particularly the loneliness of a married woman. That’s why Murder is still an enduring classic,” she continued. What do you think?