Neelam Kothari recalls being 'unfortunately stereotyped' when she started her career: 'I wish I was acting now'

Actor Neelam Kothari Soni has recalled that when she started her career in the Hindi film industry she was 'unfortunately stereotyped'. Neelam highlighted the difference between films made then and now, and said that 'actresses get to be the hero' these days.

Speaking to a leading daily, Neelam said, "When I had started, I was so young and was unfortunately stereotyped. The industry was also very different back then. Films would largely be about the hero. Today, actresses get to be the hero in their films! The kind of roles that are written and the films that are being made now are so diverse! Look at the content out there on the digital platforms, especially the homegrown ones. A large chunk of it is women-oriented. I think it’s a great time to be an actor. I wish I was acting now.”

She added, "There is great content being made, offering so much scope to an artiste to perform and explore now. I have already shot a portion of a project, which I am not at liberty to disclose yet. I was also offered another project, which I had to decline as they wanted me to shoot abroad for 45 days. I didn’t want to stay away from my family--my husband (Samir Soni) and daughter (Ahana)--for long in the middle of the pandemic."

Neelam has been on an acting hiatus for over 20 years. In a recent interview she had told Filmfare, "It was very different back in the day. You just had to look good. I mean, there was no concept for a particular look for a film. Obviously, if you were playing a village girl i.e. a gaon ki ladki, there was a certain look but otherwise, you had to just show up looking really nice and pretty."

Last year, Neelam was seen on the first season of Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives, a Netflix reality show. The show focuses on the lives of four wives of film actors, including Neelam, who is married to Samir Soni. It also featured Maheep Kapoor, Seema Khan, and Bhavana Pandey, who are married to Sanjay Kapoor, Sohail Khan, and Chunky Panday, respectively. A second season of the show has also been announced.

Neelam recently reunited with her old co-star Govinda after 20 years, on the reality TV show, Super Dancer 4.