Bollywood actress Esha Deol recently opened up about some ‘brash’ decisions she made in the early days of her career that backfired. In one of her latest interviews amid the promotions of her upcoming film Tumko Meri Kasam, Esha admitted to turning down major film offers that later became blockbusters.
In an interview with Siddharth Kanan, Esha said, “There were a couple of very good films which I could have done, but I don’t know what I was thinking, and I said no to them. They went on to be big hits, which I could have had to my credit.”
When the host asked if her refusals stemmed from arrogance, Esha was quick to clarify, “Nahi nahi, itna arrogant nahi banao mujhe (No, no, don’t make me sound that arrogant). I was very well-behaved, naïve, and a very innocent girl when I was working in films then. I was not arrogant like people think.”
She explained that some rejections were due to date issues, while others were because she felt she couldn’t do justice to the role. Additionally, she made some choices based on her family values, avoiding roles she found uncomfortable.
“Some of them were date issues, sometimes I thought I won’t be able to justify the role. I was not comfortable doing some roles. I took certain decisions keeping my family values in mind as I didn’t want to offend some people. I had to keep many things in mind,” the actress stated.
Among the missed opportunities, Esha revealed that she was offered a role in Golmaal (2006) and the iconic song Beedi Jalaile from Omkara (2006), which was eventually performed by Bipasha Basu. “I think Bipasha has done a fantastic job,” she added graciously.
When asked if watching those hit films made her regret her decisions, Esha admitted, “Of course, every actor would. 100 per cent bang your head against the wall.”
Esha, the daughter of veteran actors Dharmendra and Hema Malini, made her Bollywood debut in 2002 with Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe. Despite receiving praises, her initial films failed to make a lasting impact.
Over the years, Esha starred in a mix of commercial and offbeat films, with some gaining attention while others faded into obscurity. Movies like Dhoom (2004) gave her mainstream recognition, but she couldn’t capitalise on its success with consistent box office hits.
Her filmography includes movies like No Entry (2005), Dus (2005), and Cash (2007), where she was mostly seen in ensemble casts. After a string of underwhelming performances, she stepped away from mainstream cinema. In recent years, Esha has made occasional appearances in digital projects and short films.
