While most of actresses of those days opted to do roles that required not much of skin show, Asha Sachdev dared to reveal her cleavage. That era was 70s when she did roles that became a threat to other contemporary heroines. Her voluptuousness reflected her strong will; she was there to stay and rule as a female star. She surely knew the art of getting into the skin of the character. At the nascent stage of her filmy career she was loved by all film makers. In 1978 she won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for the movie Priyatama. While filmmakers like Mahesh Bhatt wanted to do a film with her, she refused. And now she is longing to get offers for films. What went wrong? Here is a candid chat with Asha Sachdev on her achievements, mistakes, love, betrayal and desires to win back the hearts of her fans.
How are you?
I am Fine. I am planning to start my own production. I am making a couple of movies.
Are you casting yourself?
Not too sure.
What the movie is all about?
We are working on it, earlier also we were planning to do couple of movies but the actors didn’t do very well so the financers pulled out.
So, is it a bad luck always with you?
I think it was, but not anymore. A person should not be always unlucky. I am in peace with myself.
But when you blame it on luck, do you think it is our own mistakes sometimes and we later realize …
Yes, the luck follows your mistakes. You do mistakes because large element of luck makes you do it.
In terms of films, initially you were doing very well but what made you commit mistakes- was it immaturity mixed with age factor.
I accept it, instead of fighting and justifying yourself. Press people could have covered me a little bit but nobody did that. Many people could have sheltered me or support me nobody did even five per cent.
Why it happened?
Because I came in as a loner, stayed as a loner, and I am saying good bye as a loner. It has become like that.
Asha’s first film to hit the silver screen was Gogi Anand’s Double Cross (1972). Her smile, her moves, swinging hair in front of the camera made everybody’s heart throb. Bindiya Aur Bandook (1972) added fuel to the fire, and then she wore hot pants in Woh Main Nahin(1974). Her sex-symbol image grabbed eyeballs. Asha Sachdev reflected the change that the Indian cinema was going through. She became a brand ambassador for women who were aiming for a change in women’s attire, portrayal of sensuality and sex-appeal. Her bold image while paved way to openness, she had to pay a heavy price. Her friends, colleagues withdrew their help. And she stood as a loner
.
You once said that initially there were many people who were very supportive so was it all fake?
Many actresses were unfair with me but nevertheless there was no need to be unfair because I like them, I generally like them. But I think the jealousy element was very strong with me but I don’t know if it was sexually, body element or anything else. At the time of Fiza, I thought I would do well as I had a meaty role but it didn’t happen.
Was it a sort of partiality by filmmakers?
Maybe they had their own reasons. Maybe their reasons were stronger than my luck. There were two-three actresses who were against me. They were honey-tongue on my face but behind my back they were different personalities all together. The three or four of them but I can’t name them.
Did they ruin your filmy career completely?
See nobody is that powerful to ruin your life or career but once your career starts moving on the downslope then it is difficult to control it. Ultimately it results into something that I am going through. But yes, I never have begged for work. I left myself totally on the mercy of the almighty.
So you believe that there are ways to get roles in films?
I never played up to the producers. Camps have always existed. I missed or left many roles, but there were reasons for this. My friends who stud ied with me could have supported me but no one stood by me.
Who do you think could have done this?
It would be wrong to mention their names.
But you have been very vocal in naming them?
I know I have been very vocal, maybe I shouldn’t have been so vocal. Many of my contemporary actresses could support me but they stood against me for no rhymes or reasons.
While many famous filmmakers queued up to cast Asha, she couldn’t find time to fit all. While her refusal annoyed many, her entry into B grade movies added fuel to the fire.
Her free-wheeling attitude was mistaken for her coquetry and she became an icon suitable only for B-grade films.
Do you think that the biggest mistake of your Bollywood career was to make an entry into B-grade movies? I did not make a deliberate entry. This happened because of my secretary. He used to give me a schedule to do films.
He used to finalise the dates for me.
Which means that you did not chose and sign the films yourself….
See I was extremely young. My secretary was Madan Arora who is currently Danny’s secretary. Everybody looks for their own profit.
I am sure he had some profit to gain.
But maybe your bold image, sex-appeal suited their roles.
Laughs….. I am not denying that. Main agar doodh ko doodh aur pani ko pani kahoon to burai kya hai.
They misunderstood my honest opinion as a bold opinion. Sunny Leone is a big star today but in 70s a slight revelation of boobs caused a loud clamour.
Nowadays you see Sunny Leone is accepted as an actress.
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I don’t have much interest in doing television. Television doesn’t give freedom to an artist. You have to mug up the lines and speak. Like films you cannot request for a retake. TV artists ultimately aim to act in films.
Among so many colleagues, friends and well-wishers did no body guide to choose the right path?
No body.
Asha Sachdev’s stint with Bollywood and small screen was always well-appreciated but she always remained a loner.
Her love for a corporate man met with a disastrous fate when he died in a sea accident.
Did you fall in love with any one of your co-stars?
Never. Yes, I loved a man called Kishen Lal. He was a director in a company. I loved him madly. Yes, I liked a few more men after Kishen but never found them to be men of my choice.
There were rumors that you had a crush on Dharmendra.
Yes I liked him as a fan. There never existed anything between me and him. Dharmendra, Sanjay Khan, Feroz Khan- they all looked so handsome.