Sonali Bendre opened up about her journey in films, the pressures of stardom, battling self-doubt, and how surviving cancer transformed her understanding of success. Reflecting on her career, the actor particularly revisited the legacy of Sarfarosh and revealed that the film was initially dismissed by many.Speaking about the impact of the film, Sonali told Variety India, “My films were not commercially successful or called successful but Sarfarosh, when it came out, people wrote it off as a documentary. I don’t know if you remember that but it was written off like that.”She added that even when the film eventually became a success, she did not receive the recognition she had hoped for. “When it did well everybody was surprised that Sarfarosh did well and I remember the reviews said I was the comic relief in the film. So I was not the lead actor… I said, ‘Hey, at last I have a successful film. Hopefully I’ll get nominated.’ And then I was told, ‘Oh yeah, but that was not your film. You were just the comic relief.’ So I never got nominated for it anyway.”
‘The best is yet to come’
Despite that disappointment, Sonali said she has always tried to focus on improving herself rather than chasing fame. Recalling her early years in the industry, she admitted she entered films almost accidentally after participating in a college fashion show when another participant injured herself.“That was the first time I started looking at it in a different way. What is this field? What is this kind of money? I had never understood that there can be this kind of money,” she said, recalling how modelling assignments slowly led her into cinema.The actor also shared that she never imagined becoming an actor while growing up in a conservative Maharashtrian household. “There were engineers, doctors, IAS officers. Movies were a rare thing and movie magazines were definitely not what came into my house,” she said.Sonali revealed that she even landed at the Stardust Academy audition by mistake, believing it was for an advertisement. “I said, ‘But I’m not interested in becoming an actor. No, I’m going back.’ But they convinced my family,” she recalled.Looking back at her performances today, she said she still feels she could have done better. “For me if you ask me till today I feel that the best is yet to come.”
‘I never enjoyed the process before’
The actor also reflected on how her cancer diagnosis changed her outlook towards work and life. Sonali said the pause forced her to reassess her relationship with acting.“I realised the whole time I had doubted because I was not a trained actor. I have always doubted my capabilities so much that I’ve never enjoyed the process,” she admitted.She added that after recovering, she began approaching work differently. “Today when I do it, I realise that and I feel like I should… I’ve been given a second chance. I should make the most of it.”Sonali also spoke about losing nearly five years of work during the rise of streaming platforms because of her illness. However, she credited OTT platforms and multiplex cinema for creating space for more layered female characters.“I didn’t want to keep doing roles that are not suitable for the age that I am. I wanted to play my age gracefully,” she said, adding that projects like The Broken News finally gave her that opportunity.
‘Comedy is something I would love to do’
During the interaction, Sonali also revealed that comedy remains a genre she wants to explore more seriously.“I really feel that comedy is something that I would love to do,” she said, recalling how she discovered her comic timing while working on films like Sarfarosh and Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega.“I want to see something nice and light and hopeful… It doesn’t have to be heavy all the time and dark,” she added.Talking about the changing film industry, Sonali also pointed out how sets today are more inclusive for women technicians and actors. She remembered a time when actresses had no vanity vans and often spent entire shooting days without basic facilities.
On Bollywood being male dominated
Addressing the conversation around male stars continuing to headline films while actresses of the same generation fade from the mainstream, Sonali said the issue reflects society at large.“Industry is just a microcosm of society,” she said. “The onus is on the audience which is going and watching them. If they stop watching them, they’ll not be making the films like that.”She added that while change is necessary, the rise of OTT platforms and newer storytelling formats is gradually creating more opportunities for women-led narratives and age-appropriate roles.
