She was advised to play "stupid characters" in a few movies to establish herself as an actor, an idea that didn't look appealing to Juhi Babbar, who instead decided to step away from film acting.
Babbar, who made her Bollywood debut in "Kash Aap Hamare Hote" opposite Sonu Nigam in 2003 and followed it up with a Punjabi film "Yaara Naal Baharan", said she always had the wisdom to not associate with work that she might regret in future.
"Unfortunately, I never got good work in Punjabi or Hindi cinema. 'Kash Aap Hamare Hote' didn't work at the box office. Still, girls used to get movies then. Like, the typical three hero and three heroine movies, where you are doing stupid, dumb characters. People told me, '2-4 aise role kar lo, tum achi actor ho notice ho jaogi' (Do 2-4 such roles, you are a good actor, you'll get noticed.) I said, 'No'.
"I don't know whether it made for a good professional decision or not. Nonetheless, it made me a happier person and at least today there are no tapes that I have to hide from my 12-year-old son," Babbar told PTI.
Now a well-known name in the theatre circuit, Babbar is currently busy with her play "With Love, Aap ki Saiyaara", which is celebrating its 100th show in Mumbai on Friday.
Babbar, who is married to actor Anup Soni, said "cinema is finally being kind" to her as she got to play interesting roles in Hansal Mehta's "Faraaz", and her student Alizeh Agnihotri starrer "Farrey".
Though busy with stage productions and her theatre group "Ekjute", founded by her parents, film actor Raj Babbar and theatre veteran Nadira Babbar, the 44-year-old actor is warming up to doing more meaningful roles in movies, especially for her son Imaan.
"My son asked me this question when he was 7-8, we were at the airport and he said, 'You are also an actor, why don't people take your autograph?' I said, 'Son, I am not in a famous medium, your father is in a famous medium. He said, 'Ya, nana is in the famous medium, Mamu is in the famous medium. Imaan feels very proud and happy about me doing movies and keeps asking about my future projects," she added.
Her play was initially conceived as an online performance during the Covid induced lockdown but as she celebrates its 100th performance, Babbar said it just shows that theatre can also create this kind of impact.
The play, which she stars in and has also written and directed, is a sweet and spicy take on "men, marketing and more" and represents the different identities of the modern Indian women.
"It talks about the atrocities women go through, it doesn't matter whether you are educated or you belong to the affluent society or you are good looking. There are some societal and religious norms that you have to surrender to and succumb to. People would resonate with the story of Saiyaara," she explained.
"With Love, Aap ki Saiyaara" has been performed in over 35 cities in India and in five cities internationally.
