Shatrughan Sinha opens up on his early years of struggle, “Bahut embarrassment hota tha mujhko”

In The Invincibles with Arbaaz Khan, Shatrughan Sinha talks about his initial years in film industry, and how difficult it was for him to enter in it.

By Bollywood Hungama News Network -

March 2, 2023 - 7:34 PM IST

The following guest on Arbaaz Khan's chat show The Invincibles will be Shatrughan Sinha. The veteran actor mentioned the instance when Salim Khan insisted that he act in Kaala Pathhar. He also recollected his initial years in the film industry and how embarrassed he was to enter the industry with an unconventional face.

Shatrughan Sinha opens up on his early years of struggle, “Bahut embarrassment hota tha mujhko”

Shatrughan discussed his competition in the film industry at the time and how many people advised him not to act in Yash Chopra's Kaala Pathhar. Shashi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan were among the other actors in the movie. “Bahut saare stars mauka dhundne lage. Voh bahut tadapte the. Bahut saare log nahi chah rahe the ki main Kaala Pathhar karu. Salim saab, jinko main Pandit Salim Khan bolta hun, kasmein de di unhone. Kuch bhi karke yeh film chhodna mat. Yeh aapke life mein game changer saabit hoga.”

Shatrughan had said in the promo, “Mujhe lagta tha ki mujhe pehle koi puchta nahi tha ya puchti nahi thi. Achanak itni puch badh gayi, main behek gaya. Stardom ka shikhar hua.”

Shatrughan Sinha was reportedly the first actor from Bihar to attend Pune's FTII. Shatrughan recounted that his father had questioned him, “Joker banoge?” in response to his decisions to become an actor. The actor further revealed that, despite the fact that he was still alive when he enrolled in FTII, his father never signed his admission form.

Recalling the initial years of his career before he entered the industry, Shatrughan Sinha told Arbaaz Khan, “Bahut embarrassment hota tha mujhko. Lagta tha ki apni kati-phati shakal le kar aa raha hoon main filmo mein, kaise apni jagah banaonga, kya kaise karunga. Plastic surgeon se bhi baat kar lee thi humne.”

Shatrughan disclosed that he had to decline the original offers for the seminal movies Deewaar (1975) and Sholay (1975). Amitabh eventually received the roles. He had told Aaj Tak, “I have had films which I have regretted. Like Deewaar. I regretted that I couldn't do the film. Deewaar was written for me. They had brought it to me. The script was with me for around six months. But we had some creative differences, and I returned the script back. Similarly, with Sholay, I was supposed to do it. The role that my friend Amitabh Bachchan did. They wanted me to do it. Some people wanted to do the role of Gabbar Singh...”

Sinha got his first acting opportunity to play a Pakistani military officer in Dev Anand's Prem Pujari. Subsequently, he got a small role as a police inspector in Mohan Sehgal's Sajan in 1969. He is married to Poonam Sinha. The couple has three children, Luv, Kush and the Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha.

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