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Veteran actress Hema Malini said she was supposed to make her acting debut with a Tamil film, but she “fell like a hot potato” after shooting the film for four days. The actress-turned-politician said being rejected early in her career fueled her desire to work harder, and she saw it as a challenge to prove herself.
In an interview with Lehren Retro, Hema Malini said that she was signed by Tamil filmmaker C.V. Sridhar, who also changed her name to Sujata. The actor said that the film was also supposed to star Jayalalithaa, but she was turned down because the director felt she was not “good enough” to be in it.
Hema Malini recalled how so many classical dance shows were happening in Chennai that the producers were looking for new actresses. It was Sridhar who discovered her in one of her dance performances and signed her through her mother, and Hema reluctantly agreed.
“So, when he rejected me, it was quite a shock. But it’s good that it happened, because it gave me the push that I have to, and I have to show it now. He turned me down how dare he. So, I took it as a challenge and wanted to do my best.”
The actress added that shortly thereafter, she was offered Sapno Ka Saudagar, the 1968 film that marked her Bollywood debut. However, Hema said that she does not hold any grudges as she believes in the concept of “forgive and forget”.
The actress said that she went to work with Sridhar on Gehri Chaal in 1973, and remembers him as a very nice person. “But I never mentioned that you turned me down after you took me in a movie. We never talked about it,” she added.
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