Bollywood actress Esha Deol has recently addressed the claims made by her contemporary Ameesha Patel, which allege that actors such as Kareena Kapoor and Esha Deol herself attempted to “snatch” roles meant for Patel. Ameesha, who initially aired these grievances, pointed to a competitive environment where she felt sidelined as an outsider. Esha Deol, however, firmly rebutted these assertions, stating that everyone was too preoccupied with their own careers to be concerned with sabotaging others’ opportunities.
In an exclusive interview with India Today, Esha Deol expressed her surprise and disagreement with Ameesha Patel’s statements. “Did she? My thoughts are very different. I think we were all very busy with our own lot of what we were given. I’ve had some wonderful friendships with the girls back then, and I think no one snatched anyone’s role to my knowledge,” Esha said, emphasizing camaraderie and mutual respect among her colleagues.
Esha went on to elaborate on the atmosphere within the industry during her peak years. “Everyone was very busy and happy working in their own zone. Everyone was very friendly, all the girls, even the men very friendly, very warm, it was really nice. I think we were all doing so much work and had so much to do. It is not that any one of us was sitting without work,” she added, highlighting that the competitive nature of the film industry did not translate into personal vendettas or deliberate attempts to undercut each other’s success.
The controversy emerged from a previous interview Ameesha Patel did with Bollywood Hungama. During that discussion, Patel spoke about the unique challenges she faced as an outsider in an industry dominated by children of established film families. “When I entered the film industry, I only had film actors’ kids or producers’ kids enter with me, it was Kareena Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Tusshar Kapoor, Esha Deol, Fardeen Khan, you name it, you turn your head and it was a film family third generation person coming in,” Patel recollected.
Reflecting on her perceived outsider status, Ameesha explained how she felt marginalized. “I was the outsider and I was anyway this south Bombay (girl) looked upon as a snob because I was the educated outsider.
. I was the one who did not b**** on sets, I read books, I did not gossip, so I was anyway called a snob because I chose to read,” she noted, portraying an image of isolation amidst a tightly-knit film fraternity.
Ameesha Patel’s career began with a significant splash when she debuted opposite Hrithik Roshan in the 2000 blockbuster “Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai.” She swiftly followed this success with another major hit, “Gadar: Ek Prem Katha,” in 2001, where she starred alongside Sunny Deol. Her role in “Gadar” remains one of the most memorable performances in her career.
On the other hand, years later, Ameesha reprised her iconic role of Sakeena in the sequel to “Gadar,” this time opposite Sunny Deol’s Tara Singh once again. The sequel continued the legacy of the original and managed to break several box office records, crossing the monumental 500 crore mark at the Indian box office.
In her statement, Ameesha implicitly suggested that the competition wasn’t just professional but personal, implying a sense of being undermined due to her background and ethos. “I was the one who did not b**** on sets, I read books, I did not gossip, so I was anyway called a snob because I chose to read,” Patel remarked, further painting a picture of her experiences in the industry as someone who was habitually othered because of her distinct lifestyle choices.
Esha Deol’s response aims to dispel these notions, insisting on the inherent professionalism and mutual respect amongst the actors of that era. Her spirited defense underscores the collaborative, rather than combative, nature of the Bollywood industry during that time. Esha’s remarks offer a different perspective, advocating that the notion of role-snatching might be a misinterpretation or an isolated experience rather than a widespread or systemic issue.
The interaction between Ameesha Patel and Esha Deol’s differing viewpoints vividly illustrates the range of experiences and perceptions within Bollywood. While Ameesha recalls feeling at odds with her contemporaries, Esha’s reflections highlight a harmonious environment where respect and friendship flourished despite the competitive backdrop. The disparity between these perspectives brings to light the complexities of individual experiences within the same industry, offering an intriguing lens through which to view the dynamics of Bollywood stardom.
