Ayesha Jhulka Recalls Early Years In Bollywood; Says 'I Just Had To Get Romanced By The Hero...'

Ayesha Jhulka, known for her roles in movies like Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992) and Himmatwala (1998), recently made a comeback to acting after a hiatus of many years with Tanuja Chandra’s web series Hush Hush in 2022. In a recent interview, Ayesha discussed her decision to quit acting, referring to it as a ‘conscious choice’.

The actress also shared her perspective on her ‘glam girl’ persona, saying that while being perceived as glamorous is acceptable when you are a newcomer, it becomes important to be recognised for your acting skills as you progress in the industry. Recalling her early experiences in the Hindi film industry, she said that although the characters she portrayed had distinct names, they often possessed striking similarities.

“It (her break from acting) was a conscious choice. I felt that if I associate myself with a project, I should be able to add value to it. But that can only happen if I am given a chance to perform. If that was not happening and I was being treated as a prop in a project, then it was not really worth my time. So I had to put an end to those roles. Every actress wants an upgrade, wants to be known for her acting skills and not just as a glam girl. I wanted that too…. When I joined the Hindi film industry, while the characters I played had different names, they were almost similar,” Ayesha told The Times of India.

Although she didn’t hold any objections to the roles being offered to her, she started feeling like she was constantly portraying similar characters in films. “I had to be a clotheshorse, do the typical song-dance routine, get romanced by the hero and look beautiful. Being a glam girl is fine when you are a newcomer, but as you grow in the profession, you also want to be known for your acting chops. The cinema I was doing no longer satisfied me, I was hungry work that tapped my potential and that wasn’t happening. Taking a break from acting and devoting my energies elsewhere made sense,” she added.

On the work front, Ayesha was last seen in the comedy series Happy Family: Conditions Apply alongside Raj Babbar, Ratna Pathak Shah, and Atul Kulkarni. The series, directed by Aatish Kapadia and JD Majethia, also featured Sanah Kapur, Meenal Sahu, Raunaq Kamdar, Ahaan Saboo, Swati Das, Kariuki Margaret Wanjiku, Paresh Ganatra, Pranoti Pradhan, Samar Vermani, and Neha Julkat.

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