I Was Seen As A Fallen Woman: Mallika Sherawat Recalls Her 'Murder' Days

Bollywood actor Mallika Sherawat recently opened up about the backlash she faced when she acted in the 2004 Anurag Basu film Murder. 

Sherawat said that she was 'morally assassinated' and seen as a 'fallen woman'. She added that the audience's perception of actors has now undergone a transformation.

Speaking to a leading daily, the actor said, "When I acted in Murder, I was almost morally assassinated for those scenes I shot; I was seen as a fallen woman. Today, those things I did back then are common in our films. People's perceptions have changed. Our cinema has changed."

Sherawat further said that she believes nothing can beat the cinema of the 50s and 60s. Back then, there were wonderful roles for women. Now, the beauty is lacking in our films. "I have waited for years to get a role that has substance," she added.

Mallika Sherawat has acted in movies like Guru, Welcome, Thank You, etc. She has also been a part of international projects, such as The Myth, Politics of Love and Time Raiders. Her digital debut was in 2019 with ALTBalaji's Booo Sabki Phategi where she played the role of a ghost.

Sherawat's latest movie is the Rajat Kapoor directorial Rk/Rkay. Talking about the movie, Sherawat said, "The love story of 'Gulabo & Mahboob' in my new film Rk/Rkay is an ode to the romance of the 50's & 60's cinema." Seeing the response from critics, she said that she was thrilled with all the love her movie is getting from them.

The Pyaar ke Side Effects actor is also a women's rights activist. In 2014, she discussed women's issues at the 65th United Nations DPI/NGO Conference. During the Cannes Film Festival in 2018, she had locked herself in a cage for 12 hours to support the NGO 'Free A Girl India'. It is an organisation dedicated to fighting the sexual exploitation of children and impunity.