'Phool Aur Kaante' actress Madhoo on ageism in the industry: 'Have no interest in playing Ajay Devgn's mother'

‘Phool Aur Kaante‘ actress Madhoo, at an event in Chennai, spoke on the ageism in the industry and said, “Have no interest in playing Ajay Devgn’s mother. And this is a probable scenario. We were both launched in the industry simultaneously and are of similar age.”

She added, “During the 90s, action films and heroes dominated the scene, and my roles mainly involved dancing, delivering a few romantic lines, and shedding tears with parents. While I enjoyed dancing, I realized that I was deeply unhappy with this shift from films like ‘Roja’. I recognised that my true passion lay in being an artist and doing meaningful work.”

On quitting the industry

After working in the industry for about 9-10 years, I decided it was time to quit. The moment I found a reason, which was when I wanted to get married, I wrote a letter to the people in the industry, expressing my intention to leave. It was partly driven by a sense of arrogance, childhood arrogance. I recognize that now, but at that time I felt that they didn’t deserve me. Deep down, I knew I wanted to accomplish much more in my career. So I decided to get married, have children, and continue with my life.

Madhoo and Arvind Swami reunited for Kangana Ranaut’s film Thalaivii that released in 2021. “I am doing many movies right now. I am also hosting a show for Doordarshan. Two of my films in South are about to release. Also, after all these years, I am working in a film with Arvind Swami in a Hindi film. This is the first time I am going to work with him after Roja, so I am really looking forward to that one,” she said back in 2019 when the film was announced.