Shilpa Shirodkar shares she ‘wasn’t a big actor’ before Aankhen: Started charging more after that movie

While she entered the movie in the second half, it is safe to say that actor Shilpa Shirodkar stole the show with her performance in 1993’s Aankhen. As the movie completes 30 years today, Shirodkar calls her experience working in the movie ‘amazing’.

The movie changed the lives of many actors, including Shirodkar. “Every Friday gives birth to a new star. That Friday was a changing point in my career too. I signed many good films, worked with many lovely directors. After that movie, people actually said that ‘Nahi Nahi Shilpa acting kar sakti hain’. And of course, I started to charge more money,” she shares.

Her song Angna Mein Baba is still popular today, however, not many are aware that it was Juhi Chawla who was initially offered to play the part.

“I had no idea that Juhi was asked to do the film. But I am glad whoever was approached said no because I got a chance to do it,” says Shirodkar. While her character enters post interval, the actor says, it never bothered her. “Honestly, I was never such a big actor. I didn’t have big producers, directors or banners repeating me in movies. For me working for a producer like Pahlaj ji (Pahlaj Nihalani) was, top director like David Dhawan, and being opposite Govinda was an icing on the cake. Whether I came before the interval or after, it didn’t matter. I just had the hope ki aage jaake unke saath aur kaam milega,” Shirodkar elaborates.

The movie was called the underdog of the year, with it minting moolahs at the box office. “I don’t remember the first review, but I remember my car was at a signal and everyone hounded the car. They all started calling me ‘Aye Chandramukhi’. I knew then what a big hit it had become. More than the reviews I think it’s the public opinion and reaction that makes the biggest difference for an actor,” she recalls.