Particularly in Bollywood, it is nearly impossible to avoid stereotypes both on and off the screen. When an actor plays a character that becomes extremely popular, they are unquestionably typecast in that role for a considerable amount of time in their acting career.

It also happened to Mallika Sherawat, who moved to Mumbai from Haryana as a teenager with dreams of being successful in the cinema industry. The actor, who debuted in Jeena Sirf Merre Liye and Khwahish, gained fame for her role in the sensual thriller film Murder, directed by Anurag Basu.

During an interview with The Bombay Journey, Sherawat recently talked openly about breaking out on her own in Bollywood and beyond. 

The actor, who has worked for almost two decades in the Hindi film industry, started out by addressing how her early roles affected both the industry and the public’s view of her. She also argued that she wasn’t alone in having to deal with the problem of being given only certain characters to portray; rather, it plagues many actors.

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Sherawat abandoned her family’s name and her home at the age of 19 to forge her own identity in the world. Despite the fact that her family disowned her because of her career choice, she persisted. But unlike some actors, she decided not to cash on her “struggle story,” instead accepted that she had enough to live and get by.

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Additionally, the 45-year-old actor, who has had a long path to get where she is, underlined in the interview that she is a self-made woman while talking about independence and individuality.

Mallika Sherawat also emphasised how crucial it is for women to be financially independent in order to demand a particular level of treatment. When discussing sisterhood, she also focuses heavily on women supporting other women.

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Sherawat has succeeded in the movie business without any assistance as a true outsider to the entertainment world. She also talked about how, despite spending years working in this field, no one has ever given her a referral.

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On the professional front, Mallika Sherawat will appear in Rajat Kapoor’s comedy-drama RK/Rkay. The movie has already been shown and been well received at a number of major film festivals, including the Austin Film Festival and the Shanghai International Film Festival. 

The film was released on July 22 and also included actors like Kubbra Sait and Ranvir Shorey.