Veteran actress, Poonam Dhillon ruled the silver screen in the late ’70s and ’80s, where her roles reflected the life of an Indian woman next door. After leading the Hindi film industry for a few years, she stepped away from the big screen towards TV. Although Poonam has been away from the spotlight for some time now, she recently opened up about the woman actors of her generation and how they played a significant role in changing the views of industry towards them. Especially, she recalled how the media misjudged her former co-star, Sridevi, who went on to become one of the most successful actresses in the film industry ever.
Poonam Dhillon reveals why she acted dumb in the Hindi film industry
Poonam Dhillon recently sat down for an interview with ANI and shared that many actresses of her generation would intentionally play the part of being ‘dumb blonde’ on the set. She shared that she deliberately tried to act like she didn’t understand the meaning behind the lines spoken by others on the set. The actress explained that it was a conscious choice to avoid awkward or uncomfortable situations, especially when someone cracked an inappropriate joke.
Poonam revealed that she acted ‘dumb’ for two reasons, one was to avoid reacting to off- colour jokes to ensure that a limit is not crossed with others. If she became a part of that conversation and shared her views, many male co-actors would consider it a wrong impression that she was interested in developing a deeper bond with them, creating more problems. Recalling the situation, she said:
“The moment you start backslapping and cracking non-veg jokes with the heroes, they, in our times, used to think that it’s a signal that you are a little more than willing for certain things. So being dumb was very convenient for years.”
Poonam Dhillon explains how the media misjudged Sridevi
In the same conversation, Poonam Dhillon shared that the media also had certain misconceptions about the late actress, Sridevi. The actress who worked with Sridevi in films like Sone Pe Suhaaga and Judaai revealed that Sridevi was an exceptional actor. Poonam believes that since the Lamhe actress was an excellent actor, so, it was not possible that she was dumb like the media considered her to be. The Teri Meherbaniyan actress mentioned that the media used to mock Sridevi because she passed all her decisions to her mom. Still, Poonam believes it was just a ploy to avoid certain situations like her. In her words:
“Sridevi is such a brilliant actor. She cannot be so brilliant if she were dumb. The media would write, ‘Oh, she’s dumb. She’ll say, ask mummy, ask mummy.’ I say that’s a ploy. She’s a very bright and sharp girl. Otherwise, how can she be such an amazing actor? I refuse to believe it.”
More about Poonam Dhillon
Poonam Dhillon first rose to fame after getting crowned as Miss Young India in 1978. She started her journey in films with Yash Chopra’s Trishul and later played the lead role in Noorie. It became her breakthrough moment, and she went on to work in films like Dard, Nishaan, Zamana, Awam, Red Rose and Jai Shiv Shankar. The actress next worked in some Bengali films and turned towards TV with Ekk Nayi Pehchaan, Santoshi Maa and more.
What do you think about Poonam Dhillon’s revelations about media’s wrong interpretation on Sridevi?
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