{"id":316477,"date":"2023-08-29T04:26:51","date_gmt":"2023-08-29T04:26:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/?p=316477"},"modified":"2023-08-29T04:26:51","modified_gmt":"2023-08-29T04:26:51","slug":"if-i-am-called-a-sex-symbol-today-i-dont-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/tv-movies\/if-i-am-called-a-sex-symbol-today-i-dont-care\/","title":{"rendered":"‘If I am called a sex symbol today, I don’t care’"},"content":{"rendered":"

‘I had lied to Yashji<\/em> about my age. I was only 13-and-a-half, but I told him I was 18.’
‘When the time came to travel to Yashji<\/em>‘s famous Swiss shoots, I had to get a school leaving certificate.’
‘When I gave Yashji<\/em> the certificate, he almost fell off the chair.’<\/strong><\/p>\n

So many actors had short-lived careers and made an impact in the little time they had.<\/p>\n

Bakhtavar Khan, rechristened as Sonam<\/strong> by Yash Chopra, was one of them.<\/p>\n

The actor got a break in Yash Chopra’s Vijay<\/em> (1988) but went on to have a short career.<\/p>\n

In 1991, she quit films to marry her Tridev<\/em> and Vishwatma<\/em> Director Rajiv Rai.<\/p>\n

By the age of 21, she was a mum.<\/p>\n

The actress turns 51 on September 2, and wants to make a comeback in the movies.<\/p>\n

In an interesting two-part interview, Sonam tells Patcy N\/Rediff.com<\/em><\/strong> why she owes “my career to Rishi Kapoorji<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

‘I wasn’t interested in acting. I wanted to be a teacher or an air hostess…’<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

My parents were originally from Bhopal. I am born and bought up in Bandra (north west Mumbai<\/em>).<\/p>\n

My mother was a housewife and father was a manager in a garage.<\/p>\n

One day, my father lost his job, and it was decided that I would start working.<\/p>\n

So I started working when I was 13-and-a-half. It was the best decision of my life.<\/p>\n

I wasn’t interested in acting. I wanted to be a teacher or an air hostess…<\/p>\n

But the need of the hour was that I had to earn money and for that, the movie industry was a good place to start.<\/p>\n

I was very happy that I didn’t have to go to school.<\/p>\n

‘I owe my career to Rishi Kapoorji’<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

‘My uncle is Raza Murad and my grandfather was Muradsaab<\/em>‘<\/p>\n

Zeenat Aman is my mother’s cousin. Her father and my grandmother were siblings. But I have never interacted with her.<\/p>\n

I did a photoshoot and took those pictures to Feroz Khansaab<\/em>. He liked them and took my screen test.<\/p>\n

I was supposed to do my first film with him; it was called Yalgaar<\/em>.<\/p>\n

But for some reason, he wanted to do Dayavaan<\/em> and he told me that I cannot play Vinod Khanna’s wife because I was too young. He did not want to cast me in the daughter’s role because I would get typecast.<\/p>\n

Amala was an established star in the south, so it would not make any difference for her.<\/p>\n

But for a newcomer like me, if I was introduced as a sister, I would be playing a sister all my life.<\/p>\n

Once I went to meet a film-maker, and met Rishi Kapoor. I clearly remember Rishiji<\/em> telling me, ‘Why are you here? You shouldn’t be here.’<\/p>\n

He asked me to see Yash Chopra.<\/p>\n

So I took the same screen test to Yashji<\/em> and he immediately signed me on. He said it was a huge multi-starrer, and that I will not have a big role in the film.<\/p>\n

The industry people then started clamouring up to sign me because Yashji<\/em> was introducing me.<\/p>\n

I signed 20 films in about six months.<\/p>\n

It was very sweet of Rishiji<\/em> because my career was made because of his gesture. I owe my career to Rishi Kapoorji<\/em>.<\/p>\n

‘I was only 13-and-a-half, but I told Yashji<\/em> I was 18′<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

My first release was the Telugu movie Samrat<\/em> opposite Ramesh Babu. I signed it around the same time as I signed Vijay<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Samrat<\/em> was the remake of Betaab<\/em> and I was playing Amrita Singh’s role. Ramesh Babu was Mahesh Babu’s elder brother.<\/p>\n

I had lied to Yashji<\/em> about my age. I was only 13-and-a-half, but I told him I was 18.<\/p>\n

When the time came to travel to Yashji<\/em>‘s famous Swiss shoots, I had to get a school leaving certificate.<\/p>\n

When I gave Yashji<\/em> the certificate, he almost fell off the chair.<\/p>\n

I completed 20 films in my career’s short span.<\/p>\n

‘I had a larger-than-life experience with Shashi Kapoor’<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have done three films with Naseeruddin Shah: Chor Pe Mor, Tridev<\/em> and Vishwatma.<\/em><\/p>\n

He was a very professional actor and never threw his airs around me. He never made me feel like a newcomer.<\/p>\n

I’ve never had bad experiences with any of the actors I’ve worked with.<\/p>\n

Naseersaab<\/em> was very helpful.<\/p>\n

Chiranjeevi sir was very professional.<\/p>\n

Govindaji<\/em> would hold my hand and practice the dance steps before the shoot.<\/p>\n

Chunky (Pandey<\/em>) was more like a friend. We would be joking around.<\/p>\n

Mithun Chakraborty was senior, so he would guide me how to do a scene.<\/p>\n

Working for Shashi Kapoorsaab<\/em> in Ajooba<\/em> was such a great experience. He was so generous.<\/p>\n

When we were shooting in Moscow, he made sure all of us we had a interpreter. We were treated like royalty.<\/p>\n

I had a larger-than-life experience with him.<\/p>\n

‘It’s sad that I gave up on my career’<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

All my movies were close to my heart, but it’s sad that I gave up on my career.<\/p>\n

I regret the fact that I didn’t value what I had because I got things very easy.<\/p>\n

I wish that I had stayed on because I feel my best was yet to come.<\/p>\n

At the time when I was being called a sex symbol and everybody wanted me in bikinis and kissing shots — of course, that’s not a problem — but Pahlaj Nihlani saw something in me and offered me Mitti Aur Sona,<\/em> where I was a central character.<\/p>\n

I also worked in Pahlaj Nihalani’s Bengali film Mandira<\/em> opposite Prosenjit.<\/p>\n

Pahlajji<\/em> always showed a lot of confidence in me.<\/p>\n

He was one of the people who weren’t happy when I was planning to leave the industry.<\/p>\n

‘I’ve always been ahead of my time’<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

People called me a sex symbol in the late ’80s and early ’90s and it didn’t bother me. Why should it bother me?<\/p>\n

If I am called a sex symbol today, I don’t care.<\/p>\n

It’s not a bad word, you know?<\/p>\n

I’ve always been ahead of my time.<\/p>\n

I have never cared what people think and say.<\/p>\n

As long as my parents were happy with me and I was happy with them, that’s all that mattered to me.<\/p>\n

God was on my side and I got work. It was easy.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Source: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

‘I had lied to Yashji about my age. I was only 13-and-a-half, but I told him I was 18.’‘When the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":316476,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n'If I am called a sex symbol today, I don't care' - Popular Indi News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/tv-movies\/if-i-am-called-a-sex-symbol-today-i-dont-care\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"'If I am called a sex symbol today, I don't care' - Popular Indi News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"‘I had lied to Yashji about my age. I was only 13-and-a-half, but I told him I was 18.’‘When the\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/tv-movies\/if-i-am-called-a-sex-symbol-today-i-dont-care\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Popular Indi News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-08-29T04:26:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ernie\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/If-I-am-called-a-sex-symbol-today-I-dont-care.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ernie\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/tv-movies\/if-i-am-called-a-sex-symbol-today-i-dont-care\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/tv-movies\/if-i-am-called-a-sex-symbol-today-i-dont-care\/\",\"name\":\"'If I am called a sex symbol today, I don't care' - Popular Indi News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-29T04:26:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-29T04:26:51+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ad0e9920e03d3b41c7ad02a18375d76a\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/tv-movies\/if-i-am-called-a-sex-symbol-today-i-dont-care\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/tv-movies\/if-i-am-called-a-sex-symbol-today-i-dont-care\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/tv-movies\/if-i-am-called-a-sex-symbol-today-i-dont-care\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"tv & movies\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/category\/tv-movies\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"‘If I am called a sex symbol today, I don’t care’\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/\",\"name\":\"Popular Indi News\",\"description\":\"popularindinews.com\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ad0e9920e03d3b41c7ad02a18375d76a\",\"name\":\"Ernie\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/48a314346604d6268783035dd10e709b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/48a314346604d6268783035dd10e709b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Ernie\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"'If I am called a sex symbol today, I don't care' - Popular Indi News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/tv-movies\/if-i-am-called-a-sex-symbol-today-i-dont-care\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"'If I am called a sex symbol today, I don't care' - Popular Indi News","og_description":"‘I had lied to Yashji about my age. I was only 13-and-a-half, but I told him I was 18.’‘When the","og_url":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/tv-movies\/if-i-am-called-a-sex-symbol-today-i-dont-care\/","og_site_name":"Popular Indi News","article_published_time":"2023-08-29T04:26:51+00:00","author":"Ernie","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_image":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/If-I-am-called-a-sex-symbol-today-I-dont-care.jpg","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Ernie","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/tv-movies\/if-i-am-called-a-sex-symbol-today-i-dont-care\/","url":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/tv-movies\/if-i-am-called-a-sex-symbol-today-i-dont-care\/","name":"'If I am called a sex symbol today, I don't care' - Popular Indi News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2023-08-29T04:26:51+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-29T04:26:51+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ad0e9920e03d3b41c7ad02a18375d76a"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/tv-movies\/if-i-am-called-a-sex-symbol-today-i-dont-care\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/tv-movies\/if-i-am-called-a-sex-symbol-today-i-dont-care\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/tv-movies\/if-i-am-called-a-sex-symbol-today-i-dont-care\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"tv & movies","item":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/category\/tv-movies\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"‘If I am called a sex symbol today, I don’t care’"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/","name":"Popular Indi News","description":"popularindinews.com","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ad0e9920e03d3b41c7ad02a18375d76a","name":"Ernie","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/48a314346604d6268783035dd10e709b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/48a314346604d6268783035dd10e709b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Ernie"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/316477"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=316477"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/316477\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/316476"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=316477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=316477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=316477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}