Chitrangda Singh missed out on Shah Rukh Khan's Chalte Chalte, refused Tanu Weds Manu, Gangster: ‘I have made those mistakes'
Actress Chitrangda Singh, who was recently seen in Housefull 5, sat down for a conversation with SCREEN, where she reflected on her 20 years in Bollywood. Chitrangda spoke about her nine-year-long sabbatical, the challenges she faced on the personal front, and also confessed to rejecting some big films.
Talking about her debut film Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi and the 20 years in the industry, Chitrangda said, 'It's been very quick 20 years. When I look back, I feel like I have gotten far more than I expected. I don't think I was a very ambitious person. I didn't think I was going to go places. I was quite happy that I would get married and just have a good time; I never had a vision for myself. I feel that everything has been more than I expected. In 20 years, there have been 9 years of breaks in between. 11 years of working and people have not forgotten me, so I feel grateful.'
Also Read: Chitrangda Singh: 'We cannot carry on living in our own bubbles'
When asked if films like Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi can be made today, the actor said, 'I wish films like Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi get made because cinema should not just be for entertainment alone. There are films to entertain, and then there should be films about certain matters which need to go on record as cinema history. I wish we did more films like that.'
During the interview, Chitrangda Singh also talked about her sabbatical. The actress shared, 'The first seven years of break were because of my personal life, my commitment to that, and I had a son. I came back, and then I took another two-year break because I was going through a rough patch in my personal life again. In between that also I did not have the kind of work that I was looking for coming my way, so I decided to not be around because I was also going through my emotional ups and downs and I didn't want to do stuff that I won't be happy doing. So there was a rollercoaster of life going on. So yes, I did not do as much work as I probably would have wanted to do.'
During this phase, Chitrangda also lost out on some good films, and she does feel bad about it. 'I have made those mistakes. I said no to Anurag Basu's Gangster. I refused Tanu Weds Manu. In Mangal Pandey, I said no to the role that Ameesha Patel played. There was one more that I am forgetting, and then there was Chalte Chalte that starred Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji, which I wasn't around for at all. They had run into some trouble and wanted to desperately cast someone. SRK had told me this. Saeed Mirza had loved my work, and they were looking for me. Juhi Chawla's brother Bobby was looking for my number. I had worked with SRK on an ad film when he had told me all this.'
On the work front, Chitrangda Singh has another commercial potboiler in her kitty. She will also be announcing a project in September.
Nawaz Kochra is an enthusiastic entertainment journalistic for the last 9 years, he has been a known face and successfully worked with some big publications. At IndianExpress.com, Nawaz majorly covers TV and OTT and also does video interviews. Having the best conversations with celebrities is what Nawaz loves. ... Read More
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