Mumbai, August 6 (IANS) Veteran actress Susmita Mukherjee has revealed that she took up C-grade films during one of the toughest phases of her life to repay a loan of Rs. 1 crore after her production company went bankrupt, years ago.
Sharing a video on social media, the actress candidly and in a heartfelt monologue, spoke about the difficult choices she had to make to support her family.
“Someone asked me, ‘Ma’am, why did you act in bad films?’ I was shocked because it’s a very disturbing thing to go back to my life and say, why did I act in such sexist, C-grade films, films derogatory to women. But I worked in good films, not pornography, God, but just bad films, bad choices. So I did, and did I sell my soul? Of course I sold my soul. Did I feel good about it? I didn’t feel good then. I still don’t feel good about it, but it was my helplessness,” she said.
Explaining the circumstances that led to those choices, Susmita shared, “If I tell you about my life circumstances, in 2002, my husband and I lost our media company, Prayas Production. It was a loan of one crore. Along with us, Track Cinema and Anil Chaudhary Production, we all went bankrupt. Because at that time, a new era of technology had come. Angel Investment and Venture Capital, we didn’t know anything about technology. So obviously, we went bankrupt, and that’s what happened.”
The actress recalled the emotional and financial turmoil her family endured.
“So debtors at the door used to come, recovery people used to come, they used to abuse us, it was a very bad time, my children were very young. So I was forced to start working again. All the money that used to come, I had to repay a loan of one crore. My husband and I worked very hard to repay that loan after 3-4 years. So that’s why I had to do all that work, I had to make those choices.”
She further revealed that funding her daughter’s education abroad also became a priority.
“Along with that, the Bengali mother in me woke up. She was doing well in her studies, so I started sending her abroad. My husband was a nationalist. He said, aren’t there good schools and colleges in India? But somehow or the other, I felt like it, so I sent her abroad. So she studied very expensively, she went to study in Australia and New Zealand. So I had to earn for that too. So I made those choices.”
Despite the hardships, Sushmita said she has no regrets.
“Of course, I have no regrets, not at all. I taught them well, they are on their feet. But because of that, I had to make all these choices. I had to do bad work too.”
Reflecting on that phase of her career, she added, “And the funny thing is, the good work, unfortunately, nothing came out. I didn’t do very bad work, but yes, I am not so proud of a lot of work I have done… So I feel every person should have their own index. Why is he working? Why is he earning wealth? So for security, for creative satisfaction, for helplessness, or to keep food, to teach children… or you want a big car, a big lifestyle, a big house, a bungalow, you are earning for that. You have to take a choice.”
She concluded by saying that she is now in a position to choose only meaningful work.
“Mine was very simple. I used to run my day month to month. I used to teach and I have lived a middle-class life. We all have to find out why we want to earn wealth. We have to be very clear about the why. Why do you want to earn wealth? And when you know it, then you have to do it. Like I knew why I wanted to earn wealth. And because of this, I did something like this. I am not so proud of the projects I’ve done, but okay. It was right for that time.”
She added that now she is very careful about the work she chooses. “But now I don’t do any work that doesn’t touch my soul. Now I do exactly what I feel like, with respect, I earn well and I’m happy with the projects I’m doing. We are actors. We don’t always have a choice. We are a cog in the wheel. Sometimes we have to work to run the house,” she said.
A familiar face across films, television and theatre, Susmita Mukherjee has carved a niche for herself over the last four decades of her journey in the Hindi film industry.
She has delivered memorable performances in projects such as King Uncle, Khalnayak, Dillagi, Kyaa Kool Hai Hum, Golmaal Returns, and many more.
–IANS
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