PremiumMadhoo on her 16 year sabbatical from films and her comeback with ‘Shaakuntalam’
She also spoke about how OTT has changed the way one looked at films
Last Updated: 07.23 PM, Apr 12, 2023
Who can ever forget the innocent face and the child-like smile of Madhoo, who was the leading lady of superhit films like ‘Roja’ , ‘Phool Aur Kaante’ and many others. Even though she got married and had taken a sabbatical, the good news is that, she is back and how! She will be now seen in the much-talked about ‘Shaakuntalam’. And for all those who were wondering as to which role she will be seen in, let us do the honors for you. Madhoo will be seen in the role of Apsara Menaka.
In an interview with Pinkvilla, the ever-gracious Madhoo spoke about many topics under the sun. Most importantly, she spoke about the reason why she took a sabbatical of sorts from the world of acting and showbiz. The ‘Roja’ actress said that, she did take a very long gap of around 16 years. She said that, as compared to the professional comeback that she is making a lot has changed, but, the emotions and feeling about film making hadn’t changed. She also added that, with the advent of OTT platforms, one can see the films simultaneously everywhere and that everything has become accessible for everyone, which makes the exposure quite daunting. She also confessed that, in order for her to make a comeback after so many years, she always feels like a newcomer since she always had the sense of insecurity and uncertainty.
Citing examples of actresses like Sarika and Neena Gupta, Madhoo said that they were doing amazing roles because the advent of OTT has opened up for all age groups. She added that, one need not be locked away because that person is married or over one’s age or for size. She proudly stated that, it gave the 'so-called yesteryear actresses' to make a comeback and live their dream. When asked about sexism or the feeling of being typecasted during the initial phase of her career, she said, she was playing the heroine role, so… all the heroines at that time were typecast. She also pointed out that, at one point towards the end of her career, she decided to exit, and that's when she started to feel that she wanted to do more but she was not getting that kind of roles. She added that, she was part of an era where action and action heroes were given the whole movie.
Giving her opinion about pay disparity, Madhoo said that she never questioned it but accepted it as a norm. She also congratulated the current age heroines who have now completely transformed the status of heroines in the industry. She said that she was really proud of the fact that these girls are really standing up for it.
As for ‘Shaakuntalam’, it is Samantha Ruth Prabhu's first ever Pan-India release and has Mohan Babu playing the main lead. The film is now being released in Hindi as well. The film has been directed by Gunasekhar. Besides the lead roles, the film ‘Shakuntalam’ also stars an array of stars like Sachin Khedekar, Mohan Babu, Aditi Balan, Ananya Nagalla, Prakash Raj, Gautami and others.