EXCLUSIVE: Anu Aggarwal shares she was not considered ‘typical heroine material’; reveals she didn’t act coy: I used to smoke openly with boys

Actor Anu Aggarwal who rose to fame after starring in Aashiqui revealed that she faced some challenges before being cast in her debut movie. During a candid chat with Bollywood Bubble, Anu revealed that she faced some challenges due to her dusky complexion and height. She cited that back in the day, actresses used to lighten their skin for movies and never had a dusky girl onscreen.

Anu Aggarwal on having a dusky complexion

Before the release of the film, Gulshan Kumar had said that leads were not looking good and asked Mahesh to give a solution. He then released a poster of the two by not revealing their faces as it was hidden in the coat. When asked if such issues were discussed with her and Rahul Roy before the film’s release, Anu said that such discussions were behind the cameras and they were among the directors and producers.

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However, there were other challenges, to which, Aggarwal told us, “I had my other personal challenges because, as it is, I was not considered typical heroine material. Firstly, I had a dusky complexion, which was a big issue. The girls with dusky skin used to lighten their faces. You never saw a dusky girl on screen. That was the biggest challenge. Secondly, I was very tall according to the standards of that time. Actually, the trend of tall actresses started after me. Before me, there were no tall girls. Even if you look at modelling, someone like Zeenat Aman, she was four to five inches shorter than me. So, there were no tall girls, it wasn’t a trend. I didn’t engage in flattery or sycophancy.“

Anu Aggarwal on smoking a cigarette back in the day

She further continued by saying that she never acted coy but very bold back in the day. Instead of being shy, Anu said that she openly smoked with boys and didn’t pretend.

She further added, “As a girl, I stood my ground among the boys. If you want to talk to me, show respect. If you didn’t show respect, I was out. I had a lot of attitude, I didn’t act coy like other girls. I would look straight into your eyes and talk. If I wanted to smoke a cigarette, I would do it openly. Other girls would smoke and drink whiskey behind closed doors, but I didn’t do that. I didn’t drink whiskey, but I did smoke, and I would carry my cigarette packet everywhere, even on sets. I used to smoke openly among the boys and I didn’t hide anything. In this industry, even today, there is a lot of pretence and hypocrisy.“

Watch the full interview here

Also read: EXCLUSIVE: Anu Aggarwal reveals being paid more than Rahul Roy for Aashiqui; shares thoughts on pay disparity in industry today