During an exclusive throwback interview with Lehren, Beauty Of Bollywood Sonali Bendre talks about her college days, modeling, looks, ambitions & family. The Shining Star opens up on her experience of featuring in the chartbuster song, Hamma Hamma from Mani Ratnam's cult-classic, Bombay (1995). The stunning actress shares some exciting details in relation to her co-stars like Jackie Shroff & Suniel Shetty & also recalls her dancing tales with legendary choreographer, Saroj Khan. From her relationship status to marriage plans, the Maharashtrian Mulgi reveals it all in this candid conversation with your favourite digital destination, Lehren.
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00:00I don't know how Mr. Jackie Short can promote my career because I have not even signed a film with him.
00:05There's no shortcut to success and if you want success you have to go through the long cut, you have to work hard.
00:10Well, I don't know because if anybody who comes to know me never says that I'm a snob.
00:20Sonali, you have gained popularity very quickly. What is the reason?
00:26I don't think that I have gained it quickly and I'm so popular that it doesn't seem so.
00:38Did you think that you would reach this position so quickly?
00:41I didn't think of this position that's why I never thought I would reach here also because I never thought of it as such.
00:56What would you have done if you weren't an actress?
01:10Did you have this desire to become an actress in your childhood?
01:14Not at all.
01:26So, that was when I took up acting.
01:29What did you think of yourself when you were young?
01:34I still don't think that I'm that beautiful or anything.
01:36In fact, if you go to see, especially in Bombay, half the college girls are so good looking.
01:42And I'm just photogenic I think.
01:44When did you realise that you're photogenic and you want to become an actress?
01:49Even in college, there used to be a lot of modeling offers.
01:52So, I thought modeling, it's not a profession as such.
01:56I always wanted to have a career of my own.
01:59So, when the college got over, I gave my final year exams.
02:04And then the offers that were coming, I took up one of them and saw my pictures.
02:10I couldn't believe it. This is me. I couldn't believe it at all.
02:14That's when I realised that yes, I'm photogenic.
02:16I can cash in on it and maybe do well for myself.
02:19So, were you very popular among boys in your college days or school days?
02:24I was very popular, period.
02:26Not among boys, I was popular with my teachers also.
02:29So, that's it.
02:30What compliments did you used to get earlier?
02:32What kind of compliments?
02:34Compliments?
02:36I mean, quite a few then.
02:38See, if you're asking me about compliments, now I get plenty of compliments.
02:44But there was a time when I used to get a lot of brickbats too.
02:47My leg used to be pulled a lot too.
02:49I think you should ask me about those days.
02:51Right now, everybody is on to this big trip about,
02:54what a nice figure and this and that.
02:56But there was a time when I was so thin that I used to be teased for that.
02:59I used to be called a lamppost, a giraffe because I have a long neck.
03:02Which isn't a set now.
03:03Now, you like those necks.
03:05But I used to be teased so much for that in my school and college days.
03:08But then the thing was, it never mattered.
03:11I took it very sportingly too.
03:13I mean fine, if I'm like that, I'm like that.
03:15That's it.
03:16So, you didn't work hard for this?
03:18No, I think it's because of family.
03:20I had a lot of family support.
03:22So, every time I would go home a little dejected.
03:24Like, mummy is teasing me like this.
03:26I'd say, forget it.
03:27This is good.
03:28Otherwise, you wouldn't grow up to be really fat.
03:30Didn't think how horrible that will be.
03:31So, I think my mother, my sisters were a great help in this matter.
03:35What kind of a childhood did you have?
03:36I had a fabulous childhood.
03:38Like, tell me about it a little.
03:40When I think of my childhood, I just don't want it to end.
03:43You know, I've had a fabulous childhood.
03:45We're three sisters and we're the best of friends also.
03:48And full of love.
03:51Lots of love, caring.
03:53My parents are very strict even today.
03:55Even now, I am answerable to them even today.
03:59Where I'm going, what I'm doing.
04:01I'm answerable even today.
04:03Which, if you look at it, I don't have to listen to them.
04:07You know, if I have to.
04:09And it'll upset them.
04:10And I don't want to upset them.
04:11Why? Because they've been really nice.
04:13My parents have never stopped me from doing anything.
04:15You wanna do it, do it.
04:17You must think for yourself, what is good for you, what is bad for you.
04:20So, my parents have brought us daughters up to take our own decisions.
04:24And to believe in us.
04:25You know, they've brought us up and they have a lot of confidence in me.
04:29They know that I will not do something which they will not like me doing.
04:33So, I can't do it.
04:34Had my mother been the kind,
04:36Where are you going? Why are you going?
04:37No, I don't want to go.
04:38They don't let me go anywhere.
04:39I would have lied in college.
04:40In college also, I've never lied.
04:41If I say, I want to go for a picnic.
04:43These are my friends.
04:44My friends, mummy would always invite them home.
04:46Mummy used to invite them home.
04:47So, she knew all my, who my friends were.
04:49So, she would see them.
04:51And you know, she knew that they're nice.
04:53Whoever they are, is a nice group of friends.
04:55And yeah, go for picnic.
04:56I was never stopped.
04:57I was never stopped from going out and all that.
04:59So, I never felt the need to lie and go out.
05:01So, I've never lied to them for a while going out.
05:03I'm very honest with them.
05:04This is it. This is where I'm going.
05:05What about dates and boyfriends?
05:07Well, I've never had boyfriends.
05:09So, the question of dates doesn't arise.
05:11And at that again, it's a question which everybody goes very like,
05:16Oh, we don't believe you.
05:18But just because I've never found the right person,
05:20I'm not the kind of person who would believe in, you know,
05:22light affairs.
05:23For me, it's for keeps.
05:24And then if it is for keeps,
05:25obviously, I'll be looking for a person who,
05:27whom I can spend the rest of my life with.
05:28And whom I won't get bored with in two days.
05:30You know, who will be like,
05:31God, this man might be good looking,
05:33that is really dumb, that kind of a thing.
05:35So, I've never found the right person.
05:37What is the idea of Prince Charming?
05:39I don't think there's a Prince Charming in the world.
05:41Nobody's perfect.
05:42But obviously, I want someone whom I won't get bored with.
05:45And that is not in looks.
05:47It's he has to have, he has to be,
05:49I can, you know, have a conversation with him.
05:51That kind of a person who's really understanding.
05:53I'm a very moody person who can understand my moods,
05:56who can understand my principles,
05:59who can understand the way I think.
06:01Someone who's thinking I can understand also.
06:04Obviously, I don't expect him to understand everything that I do.
06:07But everybody has their way of thinking and whatever.
06:10So, I can also understand his way of,
06:12the way his mind works.
06:13We have to be combative.
06:14Can you think of marriage now?
06:16Absolutely not.
06:17Because, maybe because there's nobody on the horizon at the moment.
06:20You know, like I told you, I've not found that person.
06:22And I refuse to get involved or get married to a person
06:25unless it's someone whom I can be really comfortable with.
06:28And what is your opinion about working after marriage?
06:31I'm sure I won't be the kind who'll sit at home doing nothing.
06:34But films?
06:36I don't know.
06:37I have, see, for me, films has been such an accident
06:40that me of all the people can't really plan,
06:42shouldn't plan my future like, you know, to the latest detail.
06:46I had planned my future.
06:47I was going to do personal management and look where it's taken me, you know.
06:50So, you never know what future has in store for you.
06:52So, it's a suspense, it's like a, you know, mystery novel.
06:55So, let's enjoy it.
06:56And I don't know what the last page will be like.
06:58I don't want to plan my last page in the beginning.
07:00Do you have to struggle?
07:02Everyone has to struggle.
07:04Anywhere, if you want success, struggle is always there.
07:07Hard work is always there.
07:09I've put in my share of it.
07:11Yes, everyone's type of struggle is different.
07:13Everybody has different kinds of struggle.
07:15I met nice people.
07:16I have had, I have made good friends.
07:18People have been really nice to me.
07:20I've struggled in different way.
07:22So, you know, there are always, that is a part of life
07:25which we all have to accept.
07:26There's no shortcut to success.
07:28And if you want success, you have to go through the long cut.
07:30You have to work hard for it.
07:31Are you very ambitious?
07:33I won't say a lot, but yeah, reasonably ambitious.
07:36I want to be good at whatever I do.
07:39Okay, Sunali, tell me about your first break.
07:41You know, how was it like when you got that first offer?
07:44How did you feel?
07:45My first offer was Manoj Desai's Ram.
07:49And to be very frank, I can't say I was thrilled about it
07:53because I never knew what it was like, you know.
07:56Now, if I get an offer, I'm like thrilled about it and all that
07:59because now I know the value.
08:00At that time, it was like, yeah, I've got a film offer.
08:03I've been getting them.
08:04I'm modelling.
08:05I'm quite a popular model.
08:07So, that's it, you know.
08:08So, it was nothing thrilling because
08:11I was not really into films.
08:13I don't come from a film background.
08:15Your first take?
08:19My first take, I don't really remember my first take.
08:23See, with their...
08:25In front of the camera, it's concerned, I had done a lot of ad films.
08:28So, you know, a take-take as such was not really
08:32something which was very new for me.
08:34So, I was quite comfortable.
08:35I was always very comfortable in front of the camera.
08:37So, I never had that problem.
08:39As you've played so many roles, what do you like doing?
08:43I haven't really...
08:44Most transitable?
08:45No, I haven't really.
08:46In fact, if you go to see...
08:47We're on sets of Tarazzo today.
08:49The character I play in Tarazzo is something so different.
08:53When I narrated the role...
08:54And in fact, half of them wouldn't believe
08:57that I would be able to do a character like this.
08:59This is a girl who's running behind the hero constantly.
09:02And after Aag and everything, I had this image.
09:04And because of how I am personally also
09:06and because I don't go to discos
09:08and I don't have late nights
09:09and unless I'm shooting and all that,
09:11the whole impression about me is this simple, simple
09:13and, you know, like, sari types
09:15and, you know, housewife kind of girl.
09:18So they were like, will she be able to do it?
09:20I was very worried about the fact, like, will I be able to do it?
09:23But everybody's very happy with what I've done
09:25and I think it's shaping up really well.
09:27I never thought I would enjoy this character so much
09:29but I'm enjoying it.
09:30It's great fun.
09:31It's slapstick comedy and we're all enjoying it.
09:37Nervous.
09:39I think I'm a little nervous before every...
09:42Not nearly every take
09:43but nearly most of the scenes, every day morning
09:45before I'm getting...
09:46I'm nearly nervous in the sense, will it go as it is?
09:48Because it's not a machine, you see.
09:50So, will it go as I want it to go?
09:52Will I really get the variations that I want?
09:55And generally that happens.
09:56You can think of a lot of things, you know, the variations
09:59but it's not necessary.
10:00I'm not that much of a developed actress as yet
10:03who would get that kind of variations
10:05that I would want to portray.
10:07When you see it on the screen,
10:08those kind of variations haven't come.
10:09Those are the small disappointments
10:11which I hope I can work on
10:12and in the coming years I can improve on.
10:14Paranoid about anything.
10:15Paranoid about anything, you know.
10:16Absolutely, I'm paranoid about anything
10:18getting close to my ears also.
10:20I have this phobia of things getting into my ears.
10:23Weird phobia, but yes.
10:25And I'm claustrophobic too.
10:27And this dance, I mean, you know.
10:29Phobia again, absolutely.
10:32No, again it's...
10:34I have a sense of rhythm
10:36and actually to be very frank
10:39when I decide to do something
10:41I know somewhere I do manage to do it
10:43and dancing is something I'm scared of.
10:45Actually, not really scared of.
10:47I'm scared of it just for one reason
10:49and that is because I want to be good at it.
10:51And I'm not happy because
10:53I can't reach the level which I want to reach
10:55when I do a movement.
10:57I want that movement to be this perfect
10:59and I can't reach till that perfection.
11:01So even if everybody finds it really nice
11:03I'm not happy with it
11:04because I wanted to reach
11:05till that level of perfection
11:06which has not happened.
11:08That is why I'm scared of it.
11:09Otherwise, it's simple.
11:10Those are movements.
11:11Anybody can do it
11:12and I can do them.
11:13But it's not just doing something.
11:15It's doing something well
11:17that makes a lot of difference.
11:18So then even the song
11:20Humma Humma in Bombay
11:22there is a lot of flack for you
11:24because there is not a lot of movements.
11:26Not a good dancer kind of a thing.
11:29Actually, yeah.
11:31In what comes across in the film
11:35because there are a lot of intricates
11:36and stuff like that
11:37but when we shot for it
11:38they absolutely needed someone
11:39who could dance well.
11:40I'm telling you very frankly about this
11:41because the movements were very difficult.
11:43It's because of the quick cuts
11:44and all that
11:45you can't really make out.
11:46But we have done those major portions
11:49like whole paragraphs in one take
11:51and continuous things
11:53which have been cut up later.
11:54So they needed a dancer for it
11:56and I don't think anybody
11:57who is bad at dancing
11:58could have done that song.
11:59How did you get that offer?
12:01I don't know.
12:02They called me up.
12:03I don't know why they called me up also
12:04but they had heard that
12:05they wanted a good dancer.
12:06They had heard I was a good dancer.
12:07They wanted someone with a figure like mine
12:09and so they got in touch with me
12:11and of course when Mr. Maniratnam
12:13asks you to do something
12:14he is one of the greatest directors
12:15we have today.
12:16You don't refuse.
12:17Sarojji has said that
12:18you are a real bad dancer.
12:20I was.
12:21I was.
12:22I was terrible.
12:24Especially at film dancing
12:25I was terrible.
12:26I was really conscious
12:28and I would whenever
12:31I would look at
12:32even now when I look at a movement
12:33I'm like
12:34I have to do this movement.
12:35I get so scared about it.
12:37But
12:39the same thing has happened
12:41and
12:42the songs that Sarojji talks about
12:44English Babu Desi Mein
12:45if you see those songs
12:46I think I have done quite a good job.
12:47They are my first dance songs.
12:49First dance song.
12:51And she saw them
12:52because she has trained me.
12:53She and her assistant
12:54has trained me.
12:55For 15 days
12:56I was rehearsing for one song
12:58and now it's like 15 minutes
12:59and I'm doing it.
13:00So it's a lot of change.
13:01She has seen me grow in it.
13:04Are you comfortable dancing now?
13:06Is it the same?
13:07No, like I said
13:08it's very difficult to understand this
13:10but that is a fact.
13:11See, if I decide today
13:13that this is it.
13:14This is what I'm doing.
13:15This is what I'm going to do.
13:16I will be very comfortable with it
13:17because I know I'm not bad at it.
13:19I will do it
13:20whatever that movement is.
13:21But the point is not
13:22in just doing something.
13:23The point is in doing something
13:24really well.
13:25And that is where that
13:26you know
13:27scaredness
13:28or the nervousness
13:29comes in when you want to do something
13:30really well
13:31and you're not reaching that level.
13:32That's it.
13:33There is a phase
13:34when people are talking about
13:35in the top brackets
13:36like Mamata
13:37Karisma
13:38Raveena and this.
13:39Let's talk about you now.
13:40How do you feel about it now?
13:42Big deal.
13:43I mean I'm not in that bracket
13:44as yet.
13:45That's why.
13:46I mean you have to do something
13:47to be in that bracket.
13:48So whenever
13:49I will be there one day.
13:50So that's it.
13:51Are you working hard for it?
13:52Not for it or anything.
13:55I always work hard.
13:56Period.
13:57It's not for it or that.
13:58Whatever I do
13:59I want to do it well.
14:00So I'm working hard for that.
14:01And
14:02it's very simple.
14:03The moment you have a hit
14:04you're in a bracket
14:05or not in a bracket.
14:06If you have flops
14:07you're not in a bracket.
14:08So getting into a bracket
14:09or getting out of a bracket
14:10is a matter of hits or flops.
14:11So whenever I have a hit
14:12I will be there.
14:13That's it.
14:14Is it true that
14:15Len Sunil Chetty and Jackie
14:16are promoting your career a lot?
14:18I don't know how
14:19Mr. Jackie Shroff
14:20can promote my career
14:21because I have not
14:22even signed a film with him.
14:24So I don't think
14:25it can be true.
14:26I don't even know him that well.
14:27It's like very cordial
14:28because he's a very senior person.
14:30A fabulous person
14:31no doubt.
14:32All I have done
14:33is one photo session with him
14:34and he was really good
14:35in that photo session.
14:36A very nice
14:37very warm human being.
14:38That's it.
14:39So I really don't know
14:40about Mr. Jackie Shroff.
14:41Now about Mr. Sunil Chetty
14:42this is one question
14:43which is asked to me
14:44in every interview of mine.
14:45In fact I should say
14:46none of my interviews
14:47complete without this
14:48question coming up.
14:49Now I think
14:50you should ask him
14:51if he's promoting me.
14:52I don't think first of all
14:53that he would promote anybody
14:54or if anybody promotes anybody
14:55they can really do it.
14:56You can promote a person
14:57for one film
14:58but if that first person
14:59is not good at
15:01that person is not good
15:02at work
15:03or whatever that person
15:04is supposed to do
15:05promotion is not going
15:06to help.
15:07Nobody's going to put
15:08that much of money
15:09on a person who's not
15:10going to do the job.
15:11So that's it.
15:12Who are your favourite co-stars?
15:14See I have no problems
15:15with any of them
15:16but if you ask my favourite
15:17co-star that's Guddi Maruti.
15:18I always say that
15:19and I genuinely mean it.
15:20I think she's a fabulous
15:21co-star.
15:22And the female actress
15:23is she your friend?
15:24No I don't socialise
15:25with any of them
15:26because again
15:27like I told you
15:28I don't come from
15:29a film background.
15:30My family is not
15:31from films
15:32and my friends
15:33are not from films
15:34so I don't socialise
15:35with them here.
15:36So whatever they are
15:37they are co-stars
15:38I can't call them friends.
15:39Guddi is a good friend also
15:40but she was a co-star
15:41who became a good friend
15:42because she's a
15:43darling person
15:44you know she's a
15:45very warm person.
15:46And in Tarazu also
15:47in fact like I told you
15:48I was really worried
15:49about this character.
15:50I'm just doing a
15:51take-off on Guddi
15:52actually if you go to see.
15:53But do you want to be
15:54called a snob
15:55by staying like this?
15:56Do they really say that?
15:59Yeah well
16:00I don't know
16:01because if anybody
16:02who comes to know me
16:03it never says that
16:04I'm a snob.
16:05So if a few
16:06that's because
16:07they don't know me
16:08and I really can't
16:09you know in the world
16:10there are always
16:11going to be a few people
16:12who would not understand you.
16:13You can't really please
16:14each and every person
16:15in the world.
16:16So what really matters
16:17is people who matter to you
16:18know how you are
16:19and that's it.
16:20What is your ideal con?
16:21Ideal?
16:22In the films
16:23I can't again
16:24like I'm saying
16:25because I'm not
16:26from a film background
16:27I've not really been
16:28I don't follow anyone
16:29or I've not really seen
16:30anybody's films
16:31or anything like that.
16:32But if you go to see
16:33ideal as such
16:34in a human being
16:35as being a human being
16:36my mother is my ideal
16:37I think she's a fabulous
16:38human being
16:39in the way she has
16:40held the family together
16:41in the way she's
16:42brought us all up
16:43and everything
16:44I think she's an
16:45ideal human being.
16:46So what are your
16:47weakness and strengths?
16:48My family is my weakness
16:51as well as my strength.
16:53What is your motto in life?
16:57Motto in life?
16:58Oh my god
16:59we're getting very
17:00serious about things.
17:01Now I don't really
17:02think about life so much
17:03as to be like having
17:04a motto in life
17:05or anything
17:06but I really think
17:07that I love life
17:08basically
17:09so I really think
17:10everybody should just
17:11enjoy life
17:12and take it lightly.
17:13Okay, thank you.
17:15That's it.
17:17Bye bye.
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