Meenakshi Seshadri Was Branded Panauti After Flops Before Comeback With Ghayal

Fame and glamour are fleeting. When success is on your side, the industry celebrates you; when it isn’t, the same people are quick to write you off as unlucky. Bollywood has witnessed several such stories over the decades, with the rise and fall of stars like Rajesh Khanna being among the most talked about. But one of the highest-paid actresses of the 1980s, Meenakshi Seshadri, says she too was subjected to similar treatment when a string of her films failed at the box office.

Meenakshi made her acting debut with Painter Babu in 1983, but the film failed to leave an impression. However, later that year, she rose to stardom with Hero, opposite debutant Jackie Shroff. The success of the film turned her into one of the busiest actresses of the decade, with more than 10 releases in some years. While several of those films became hits, others failed to perform.

Recalling a particularly difficult phase in her career during an interview with Faridoon Shahryar, Meenakshi said that after a series of flops, she was branded “Panauti” by the media.

“Hope is what keeps the world going. More importantly, trusting yourself is the biggest motivation—to believe that you are whole, complete, beautiful, capable and full of excitement. That attitude helped me immensely during a phase when several of my films flopped one after another,” she said.

She added, “All the gossip magazines and journalists gave me the tag of ‘Panauti’. They wrote that casting Meenakshi was like inviting bad luck because the films would inevitably flop. But as a follower of Lord Krishna, I have always believed in ‘Karm karo, phal ki ichcha mat karo’ (Do your duty without expecting the fruits of your actions). So I simply continued working.”

The actor said perceptions changed in 1990 when Ghar Ho Toh Aisa and Ghayal emerged as major blockbusters. “Suddenly, people began saying the films were successful because of me. And I also started taking the credit in my interviews, saying both the films worked because of me,” she said with a laugh, highlighting how quickly perceptions change in the film industry.

“Years later, I was sitting behind Amit Ji on a motorcycle during a shoot. I told him, ‘The first time I saw you, you were riding with Rekha Ji in Delhi. I still can’t believe that today it’s me sitting behind you instead of Rekha Ji.’ Bachchan Sahab simply smiled and said, ‘Work hard, do well.’ He was always so inspiring and encouraging.”

After a successful acting career spanning over a decade, during which she delivered memorable hits such as Hero, Shahenshah, Ghayal, Damini, Bewafai and Ghar Ho Toh Aisa, Meenakshi stepped away from films after marrying businessman Harish Mysore. She later settled in the US, where she focused on raising their children.