The world is unfair to women, says Sonali Bendre

Sonali Bendre isn’t a big fan of the ’90s. Unlike most ’90s kids who gush about the pop culture nostalgia that the decade stands for, Sonali admits that she would’ve liked things to be a bit different. After wrapping up her Bollywood stint a few years ago and making a one-off television comeback for a Balaji show, the actress says she is now going to  pursue her first love, books. Here Sonali talks about films, reading and playing a parent. Edited excerpts from the interview:

You’ve turned author after working as an actress for years. How did that come about?
My first book, The Modern Gurukul did really well. In fact, the new cover was just released on popular demand. The book has done really well in Marathi, Gujarati and Hindi. Since the book is on parenting, it has a very niche market. I have enjoyed the experience because I have written about real life experiences with my son.

How did the idea of starting a book club online come about?
I have been a voracious reader and if you talk to old journalists of my time, they will tell you how much I love reading. I felt that I lost the habit of reading books. I always had a corner on the sets where my stack of books would be kept. After my child was born, I left reading books. I was caught up running my house and with my day-to-day things. I hardly get half-an-hour to read books, before my son comes back from school. The kind of books I want to read needed time, but life took over. Last year, when I debuted on social media, I decided to go back to reading and launched my online book club. There is nothing meaningful on social media apart from people’s silly whereabouts, so this book club made sense to me. It is so much fun!

How have things changed for you since you turned away from the arc lights?
Honestly, I didn’t rule the ’90s. But there were certain interesting things that I did then. I entered the industry completely unprepared and unaware of my strengths. I came from a family where we never saw films; we read books. I didn’t even know the concept of fashion magazines. There was only one mirror in the house, so if I would stand in front of it for five minutes, I’d be whacked on my head. When people complimented me on my looks, it’d take me by surprise. I entered films because I desperately needed the money. My family was in a bad state back then. So my choices in the industry were mostly driven by money. I may not picked have the best films, best directors, or best stories, so I am surprised that I have survived till now. I never got any formal grooming or training either. I learnt everything on the job. Had I known about it, my choice of films would have been much different. I have no regrets about it though. I am not very attached to that era. I live in the present and future.

You’re saying the ’90s didn’t treat you well?
I guess not. I mean, there were a few incidents that stand out — like when I signed Duplicate opposite Shah Rukh Khan. I liked the character because it had shades of grey. But in the end, it turned out to be a Shah Rukh and Juhi Chawla film and I looked like a second lead. I was very upset with it.

Suniel Shetty requested me to do a cameo in Rakshak and I agreed but he made the entire film with my scenes and I was hurt. Being a close friend, one wouldn’t expect something like this. People don’t realise this, but I have done maximum films with Ajay Devgn and those were the best ones.

So are you still willing to work in films?
Of course I am willing to act in films if something nice comes my way, but it’s not like I am actively looking for films. I am at a stage of life where I need stimulation to go to the sets and work.

When I did the TV show Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh, Balaji tried to get in touch with me for the longest and I ignored their requests since our mindsets were entirely different. When Shobha (Kapoor) aunty called my mother-in-law, that is when I decided to meet the production house. I liked the story. I am happy to do a shoot once in a week for a reality show and come back home.

Are you happy with the current scenario of films?
Yes, I am really happy. Such interesting films are being made at the moment. I feel that during the ’90s, everything was so over-the-top. For me, less is more, so I enjoy the scene today more than I did during my time. I haven’t seen most of the films that I worked in. I shot for them and that’s that. Films now are more complex and layered.

Do you believe that Bollywood is still a male-dominated industry?
Not just the film industry, the entire world is male-dominated. I have been saying this since I was thirteen. My parents, luckily, did not discriminate within the family, but many people in my extended family were discriminated against.

I feel this world is unfair to women in general and I won’t single out the Hindi film industry. Luckily, different kinds of stories are being told today. Even in the black and white era, there were such amazing stories being told until it all changed to action and comedy during the ’80s and ’90s.