 "Meenakshi Seshadri reveals she was thrown out of the film 'Damini' for refusing director Rajkumar Santoshi's marriage proposal: 'I decided not to…'")
Meenakshi Seshadri starred in Rajkumar Santoshi’s 1993 blockbuster Damini that also starred Sunny Deol and Rishi Kapoor. In an interview with Zoom, she revealed how she was thrown out of the film after she rejected the director’s proposal, and how she came back on board because of some support from the producers guild.
The actress said, “Santoshi ji and I decided not to talk about it. It is water under the bridge. But the courage to stand up was important because nobody should be told they aren’t required anymore. It had several implications for rules in the workforce and beyond. I dealt with it by keeping quiet. I just said that I will choose not to comment on this as it is below my dignity to turn this into a fight. This is not a fight.”
She added, “I stood up for what I believe in, and if things were going to work out, we would work together as a team. That was the message I wanted to give to the film fraternity and the audiences. I was there to make a great film, and Damini was definitely going to be that.”
Sharing how the whole Producers Guild supported her, she said, “I respect all the people involved with the film, especially Santoshi ji because his vision was tremendous. Ultimately, they say action speaks louder than words, so the Producers Guild, the Artists Guild, all came together to make it happen.”
The actress quit the industry after the release of Ghatak in 1996 whereas the director went on to make films like China Gate, Pukar, Khakee, The Legend Of Bhagat Singh, and Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani.