: A still from Damini. (courtesy: X)

New Delhi:

Yesteryear actor Meenakshi Seshadri recently talked about the time when she was ousted from Damini for turning down director Rajkumar Santoshi’s marriage proposal in an interview with Zoom. FYI, Damini is one of the most popular films of Meenakshi’s career. However, Meenakshi was re-cast in the film after the Producers Guild supported her. Recalling the days, Meenkashi said that she didn’t consider it as a “fight” but she “stood up” for the cause she felt right. Speaking to Zoom, Meenakshi Seshadri 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.”

Meenakshi Seshadri 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.”

Refelcting on the support she received from the Producers Guild, 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.”

Meenakshi Seshadri is known for films like Muqaddar Ka Faisla, Parivaar, Vijay, Shahenshah, Shandaar, to name a few. She shared screen space with Sunny Deol and Rishi Kapoor in Damini (1992). She was nominated for the Best Actress in the Filmfare Awards for Damini. Later, she reunited with director Rajkumar Santoshi in Ghatak: Lethal (1996).