Sonakshi Sinha on completing 15 years in Bollywood after her ‘Dabangg’ debut, not being a part of Son Of Sardaar 2
Sonakshi Sinha talks about her 15 year journey in Bollywood which started with Dabangg, not being a part of Son Of Sardaar 2 and her equation with media
It’s been 15 years in the industry for Sonakshi Sinha who made her acting debut with Salman Khan in Dabangg on this day in 2010, but she doesn’t feel like it. “Until someone reminds me, I completely forget that it’s been 15 years. It feels like I made my debut just yesterday,” she laughs, sharing the secret behind her survival. “I treat every film like my first film and I think that is what has kept me around also for these many years.”
Ask her what has been the highlight or the best achievement of her career till date and Sonakshi Sinha says, “Both these things are yet to come. I don't want to say that anything has been the highest point in my career as that is what I strive to achieve still. It’s been a good, balanced and wholesome journey. I have seen the ups, the downs and it’s been a learning experience, and it continues to be the same even today. That is what I appreciate about myself when it comes to my approach towards work; I'm still learning and I never want to stop learning.”
During these years, Sonakshi has been subjected to many opinions against her appearance as well as work choices. But she has maintained to listen to her gut. Sharing the source of courage behind it, she says, “There is no formula to it as it just comes from within and from having the right set of people around you. It's important to have that support system that encourages and uplifts you. What I have learnt is sabki suno, apni karo. In the profession we are in, there is a lot of chatter and everybody has an opinion, but it's important to listen to your heart.”
Dabangg is one of the few franchises in Hindi films that have maintained the same female leads across instalments. Does she feel a sense of pride that she did that with her first film? “I never thought of it that way because it's the same characters that you're following through the series, so you can't change it as it will make no sense if you change the person altogether. I understand if Chulbul Pandey went to America and did something over there. But Rajjo got married to him in the first part only, so saath mein hi leke jayega usko bhi,” she quips.
But there are many films where the female leads have been changed even after their wedding to the male leads in previous parts. Mention that and she answers, “That’s why even those movies haven’t made any sense. And if they worked, maybe the film itself turned out to be very good.”
Recently, she wasn’t a part of a sequel of one of her own films, Son Of Sardaar. Actor Mrunal Thakur was the female lead in the second part. Commenting on that, she says, “It's very subjective, probably from what I could see, with Son Of Sardaar they went abroad somewhere so the same character might not be there, so it made sense in that way. But for a Force 2, Genelia's character died in the first part, so, that's why she wasn't there in the second part. And I did not even come as a love interest. I was John’s superior in the film from RAW. There are certain things and you can’t feel offended just for the sake of being offended. It doesn’t work like that, you have to be practical and treat each film as a different film.”
In these 15 years, Sonakshi notes the biggest change in her has been in her relationship with the media. “I used to get very hot and bothered initially by whatever was said or written about me. I would think I will never give an interview to that person again, but with time you learn to let go. When you change your attitude, the whole world changes around you. It does take time, it's not overnight and happens gradually. I have learnt it over these past 15 years and now I'm in a good space,” she ends.
