A hit debut in Bollywood in the 2000s with a film produced by Mahesh Bhatt was a big deal. Many actors and actresses who had such a start to their careers went on to become stars. Kangana Ranaut, Emraan Hashmi, and Kunal Kemmu are examples of that. But there are many who did not get the kind of success they were hoping for, mostly due to factors outside their control. One such actress is Smilie Suri, the sweet Kalyug girl.
Smilie Suri’s beginning in Bollywood
The sister of director Mohit Suri and hence the niece of Mahesh Bhatt, Smilie began her career with an important supporting role in the 2005 hit Kalyug, which also starred her cousin Emraan Hashmi alongside Kunal Kemmu. Smilie became known as the Jiya Dhadak girl because of the popularity of the song ‘Jiya Dhadak Dhadak’ picturised on her.
However, after that, film offers were scarce for her. In a recent conversation with Siddharth Kannan, she chalked it down to her cousin Pooja Bhatt, the daughter of Mahesh Bhatt. “Pooja dropped me from her first film Holiday. I am happy that I got dropped from the film because I got to do Kalyug, which was a hit. I was going through a lot of shame and depression as she used to write a lot about me in Mid-Day. When I came back from the sets of Holiday, I locked myself in a room. At that time, Bhatt sahab (Mahesh Bhatt) told me that I would be doing Kalyug. I feel after Kalyug, Bhatt sahab couldn’t offer me any films because he had to listen to his daughter, and I don’t blame him,” Smilie said. The actress eventually moved to television and worked in Jodha Akbar, a historical show, and appeared on Nach Baliye as well.
Smilie Suri’s turbulent personal life
After her acting career, Smilie married Vineet Bhangera in 2014. However, the marriage did not last. “In 2016, I was battling depression and clinical anxiety. My husband walked out on me. So, I decided to go to Dubai,” Smilie told Mid-Day in an interaction last month. The actress recalled how she was introduced to pole dancing, which got her into dance and fitness. However, as the pandemic struck, the actress faced financial crunch. “I had to buy that pole and it was $1000. There were times when I had no money. I was calculating that if I don’t eat for four days, I might be able to buy the pole. So, I did that,” Smilie said. The actress added that during pandemic, she only had enough money to feed her dogs. “There have been days when I have starved,” she revealed.
Smilie Suri’s comeback to acting
In 2024, Smilie made a comeback to acting after over a decade, as she played a supporting role in the film House of Lies. Directed by Saumitra Singh, the murder mystery also stars Sanjay Kapoor, Ajitesh Gupta, Simran Suri, and Hiten Paintal. The film released on Zee5 in May.
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