Many outsiders try their luck in Bollywood, but only a few succeed. Today, we'll discuss a top actress who was initially rejected for her looks and faced attempts to end her career by Karan Johar.
We are talking about Anushka Sharma who came as an outsider but became one of those actresses who gave the highest-grossing films like PK and Sultan. Let's take a look at her journey:
Early life:
Anushka Sharma was born on May 1, 1988, in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, to Colonel Ajay Kumar Sharma and homemaker Ashima Sharma. Raised in Bangalore, she attended St. Mary's School in Assam and Army School in Bangalore before graduating from Mount Carmel College.
Initially aiming for a career in modeling or journalism, she moved to Mumbai to model, debuting at Lakme Fashion Week in 2007. Despite her success in modeling, she found her true calling in acting, leading her to join an acting school and start auditioning for film roles.
Breakthrough:
Anushka made her acting debut in Aditya Chopra's 2008 romantic drama Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, opposite Shah Rukh Khan. She prepared for her screen test in one day and was signed for a three-film deal with Yash Raj Films. Playing Tani Sahni, she received mixed reviews. Two years later, she starred in the crime-comedy Badmaash Company, which, despite mixed reviews, showcased her versatility.
When Karan Johar tried to end her career
At the 18th MAMI Mumbai Film Festival in 2016, Karan Johar revealed that he had advised Aditya Chopra not to cast Anushka Sharma in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and recommended another actor for the role. He said, "I totally wanted to, completely murder Anushka Sharma’s career. Because when Aditya Chopra showed me her image, I was like, ‘no, no, mad or what, you signing her, you crazy! There is no need for you to sign this Anushka Sharma’. There was another lead actress at that time who I wanted Adi to sign and I was totally behind the scene sabotaging her completely. The movie also… I was reluctantly watching Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi."
He further added, "But when I saw Band Baaja Baaraat, I called her and I felt like I owed her an apology and a compliment. Apology because I felt so embarrassed that I would have actually ruined the graph of an exceptional talent and secondly, a compliment because I thought she was amazing."
When Anushka was rejected for her looks
In an old interview, Anuhska stated, "I have faced rejection from the age of 15. I don’t talk about it because there’s no need to do that. But, I was constantly getting dropped from shows, picked for an ad and then would get replaced. All that has happened to me, too. Obviously, all that is also an integral part of the industry and life in general. But to experience that at the tender age of 15, to be subjected and be judged purely on the basis of how you look, it can be very mentally damaging as well. It hits your self-esteem. I have dealt with it."
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