Mallika Sherawat recollects how Bollywood tried to shame her after the landslide success of ‘Murder’

Mumbai: Bollywood actress Mallika Sherawat, who can be seen in the recently released movie ‘Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video’, has spoken about how she was shamed in Bollywood after the landslide success of her erotic thriller ‘Murder’.

The actress appeared on the podcast of Ranveer Allahbadia, and spoke about how success also opened another dimension for her, the one of envy from the people in the industry.

She said, “There was a lot of sl** shaming at the time. I think they wanted me to feel ashamed of myself. And they wanted me to feel ashamed of the bold scenes I did. And in a way, feel ashamed of the success of murder

She said that ‘Murder’ was not just about showing the skin and that it had a certain depth and relatability in its narrative.

She shared, “A story, a film, such a big hit, just on the basis of just the skin show can't happen. There has to be some depth to the story. Women resonated with it. The story resonated with a huge section of the population in India. A married woman's loneliness, that resonated with a lot of people, with women. That's why murder is an enduring classic. It has got the status of a classic, a cult film today”.

When asked what the producer of the film, Mahesh Bhatt told her during those times, the actress said, “I used to go to him while crying. Look, Mr. Bhatt, he knew all the names. This actress is talking to me like this on my face, she's talking like this. Mr. Bhatt said, ‘Enjoy it’. He has his own philosophy. He said, ‘The day they stop talking about you, that day you will cry’”.

She further mentioned, “So he said that you should feel happy that they're talking about you. How many women they talk about. So this is how, I think he was trying to toughen me up. And look, whoever has played long innings in Bollywood, ask any one of them”.

“There are so many ups and downs in Bollywood. To live with them, to endure them, and to face the next day with a smile is very difficult. No one survives a weekend in Bollywood. It's difficult to survive a weekend”, she added.