Mallika Sherawat says big stars shamed her after 'Murder' success: 'I ran to Mahesh Bhatt crying'

Mallika Sherawat

Mallika Sherawat returned to the big screen after a gap with the recently released film 'Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video'. The actress plays a pivotal role in the comedy that also stars Rajkummar Rao, Triptii Dimri, Vijay Raaz and others. The actress who is known for her bold roles on screen recently spoke about the challenges she faced after the success of her film 'Murder' opposite Emraan Hashmi. The film put her on the map but the fame came with its own set of challenges, especially from her Bollywood contemporaries.

Mallika Sherawat on how 'Murder' changed her life

Talking to Ranveer Allahbadia on his podcast, Mallika Sherawat shared, "Murder gave me stardom, but most importantly, it gave me economic independence. For me, winning awards was never the goal. What mattered was being able to live life on my own terms and make decisions, regardless of whether they were right or wrong. Fame is just a byproduct."

Mallika also spoke about the change of attitude towards her after the success of 'Murder'. She said, "Murder changed everything. Suddenly, everyone recognised me, and their attitude toward me shifted. Fame back then was much bigger. In the early 2000s, I carved out a space for myself, but today's newcomers have to deal with a different reality. No matter how big a hit a film is, it fades from memory within two weeks because of the tsunami of content."

The actress also spoke about doing roles distinct from her contemporaries and how the era was not ready for the kind of roles she did. "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. 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."

"There are some big-name actresses in Bollywood whose names I won't take, but they were condescending to my face," she added.

Sherawat said that she then sought solace from her mentor, Mahesh Bhatt. "I ran to him crying, and he told me, ‘So many sluts in Bollywood, one more won't matter.' There was so much slut-shaming. They wanted to make me feel ashamed of the bold scenes I did."