Mallika Sherawat recently opened up about the reason she changed her name while entering the industry. The actress who was born as Reema Lamba ran away from home to become an actor in Bollywood. Mallika had earlier revealed that she adopted her mother’s maiden name Sherawat.
Bollywood actress has now finally spoken about what prompted her to change her name. Sherawat, in a recent interview, said that her father felt that Mallika would tarnish the family’s reputation if she enters Bollywood so she decided to disown the name.
“It was my rebellion against patriarchy because my father said, ‘Ye filmo mein jayegi, parivaar ka naam kharab karegi, main tereko disown karta hoon (She will enter the film industry, she will ruin the family name, I disown you).’ Maine kaha, ‘Main tumhara naam hi disown karti hoon. Tum kya mujhe disown karoge (I told him that I disown your name). Yes, you’re my dad, I respect you, I love you, main apni maa ka naam use karungi (But I’ll use my mother’s name).’ So I used Sherawat, it’s my mother’s name,” she revealed.
Mallika has appeared in numerous films, since her debut. The actress caught country’s attention with her bold scenes with Emraan Hashmi in Murder. She was later seen in films such as Khwahish, Welcome, Pyaar Ke Side Effects, and Dasavatharam. Internationally, she has done films such as The Myth, with Jackie Chan, and Politics of Love.
Even though, her relationship with her family remained severed for years Mallika feels that over the years, the sourness has reduced. “It still not the best I would say, but with age everyone softens,” she said.
Talking about her journey so far, she said, “I have auditioned to get work. I didn’t ever land a film without going through that. Even Jackie Chan had auditioned several actresses before casting me in his film (The Myth). The process was always there but I am not sure if it was followed as strictly for industry kids. This time around, when Rajat approached me for his film, he took me through a proper look test and screen-test and had told me that if he is not convinced about it, I won’t get the part.”
Mallika who was last seen in Rajat Kapoor’s Rk/RKay will next appear in a digital series called Naqab.
