Mallika Sherawa is still remembered for ‘Murder‘ with Emraan Hashmi which hugely shocked everyone. The film though was a huge hit and Mallika became a household name. Not to mention, the songs of the movie are still considered cult and fans truly felt nostalgic when recently Emraan Hashmi and Mallika re-united at an event after so many years. But Sherawat recently revealed the backlash that she faced for the film.
However, more than fame, it was the financial independence which Mallika cherished post ‘Murder’.The actress spoke about it on Ranveer Allahbadia’s podcast, “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.”
The actress also opened up on the lasting impact that the film made, in a positive and negative way. She said, “Murder changed everything. Suddenly, everyone recognised me, and their attitude toward me shifted. Fame back then was much bigger. Ithe 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.”
But it was the harsh comments from her peers that completely broke her and she went crying to her mentor Mahesh Bhatt. Here’s what the ‘Sadak’ film-maker told her. “There are some big-name actresses in Bollywood whose names I won’t take, but they were condescending to my face. I ran to Mahesh Bhatt 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.”
The actress admitted that the culture and Bollywood was not ready for ‘Murder’. She added, “They were shy but I was unapologetic. With Murder, a femme fatale was introduced.”
Mallika also said that during the shoot of the intimate scenes in the film, both Mahesh Bhatt and Emraan Hashmi made her feel extremely comfortable. The actress has made a comeback on-screen after many years now with ‘Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video’.