EXCLUSIVE: Ameesha Patel recalls being judged for doing Gadar, Humraaz: People claimed I was murdering my career

Actor Ameesha Patel made her Bollywood debut with Hrithik Roshan in Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. The movie went on to become a super hit. Later, Ameesha Patel starred in Gadar alongside Sunny Deol and it turned out to be a blockbuster. But did you know that back in 2001, Ameesha was questioned about doing a movie like Gadar and that too with a senior actor Sunny? Speaking about the same, Ameesha spoke about people’s judgement on her choosing the scripts. During an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Ameesha revealed that people judged her for playing a mother at the peak of her career.

Ameesha Patel on choosing Gadar as her second film

Ameesha exclusively told us, “I was shooting for it while shooting for Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. It was more of a challenge for me because all the films that I was doing while I was shooting for Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai and Gadar simultaneously. There was a film with Salman Khan called Yeh Hai Jalwa, there was another film of mine with Hrithik’s Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage which we were shooting. There were films with Ajay Devgn where he was a professor, I was a student. In all the films, I was just this student, young, glamorous, bubbly (role). Then it was a challenge for me to play a mother and go back to the 1947-55 era of Independence.”

Ameesha on people judging her for choosing a mother’s role in Gadar

The Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai actor further said, “People didn’t have faith in the film. People didn’t have faith in me being able to pull it off. They were like ‘How are you going to do something? Why will you work with such a senior actor? Why will you play a mother’s role so early in your career?’ I was like ‘What’s wrong with being a mother?’ Today, there are teenage moms. I think everyone’s grandparents have had their children at the age of 19. So, what was wrong? I think being a mother is the most respectful thing. There’s nothing bigger than being a mother.” Adding that we call India ‘Mother India’ and say ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam.’

She continued, “I didn’t understand this and therefore, I loved the subject. So, I went ahead and did it anyway even though people said don’t do it. Bigwig said ‘Don’t do it, you’re committing complete murder on your career’ and just the opposite happened.”

Ameesha says people pass judgements on Humraaz

She said, “I’ve noticed in my career whenever I have listened to myself I have been a winner. Like people said don’t do Humraaz. ‘Why will you after being Sakina want to play a money-minded girl who’s negative manipulating an entire marriage to con a man for money.’ But I went ahead and did it anyway and again it turned out to be a success.”

Watch the full interview

Both Gadar and Humraaz were superhits back in the day. Humraaz starred Bobby Deol and Akshaye Khanna. Moreover, the 2001 film had a sequel, Gadar 2 which is currently breaking all box office records.

Also read: EXCLUSIVE: Did Rakesh Roshan throw Kareena Kapoor out of Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai? Ameesha Patel’s SHOCKING confession