Actor Simran, celebrated for her work in Tamil cinema, recently opened up about her difficult experiences in the Hindi film industry. Speaking candidly about the treatment of South Indian actors in Bollywood, Simran said she often felt that the years of work and legacy carried by actors from the South were overlooked, adding that the lack of respect deeply hurt her.
Simran exposes Bollywood for disrespecting actors from South cinema
In a conversation with Filmfare, Simran talked about how Bollywood ‘disrespects’ South actors and said, “A lot of times, I have refused to do a Hindi film because I don’t connect with people. It feels like they have not seen the work we have done down South and the legacy actors carry before we come here. It bothers me. There is no respect. I have given more than half of my life to cinema, and despite that, if I lack respect, then it hurts. It makes no sense.”
She added that some production companies bargain over even basic facilities and said, “They bargain on stay. They limit the number of people who can travel with me. They say things like, ‘You can’t bring so many staff.’ They bargain on hotels and tickets. These things bother me a lot, but nobody talks about it. There is a hierarchy, so you don’t feel like working. You feel hurt.”
However, Simran revealed that she recently worked on Gabru alongside Sunny Deol and had a positive experience on the set. She praised the film’s producer Om Changani for treating her well and described Sunny as kind and humble. Simran also shared that the team of Gulmohar was warm and welcoming, and never made her feel out of place.
About Simran
Simran made her debut with the 1995 film Sanam Harjai. While working as a presenter on the music show Superhit Muqabla, she caught the attention of Jaya Bachchan, who cast her in Tere Mere Sapne. Songs from the film, especially Aankh Marey, became hugely popular.
In 1996, she made her Malayalam debut opposite Mammootty in Indraprastham. Although the film was not a commercial success, her performance received attention. She entered Tamil cinema in 1997 with the successful films Once More and V.I.P, and went on to establish herself as one of the leading stars of the industry. Some of her notable films include Kannathil Muthamittal, Priyamaanavale, Pammal K. Sambandam and Panchatanthiram. She was most recently seen in Tourist Family opposite M. Sasikumar. While her performance was appreciated by both critics and audiences, the film went on to become one of India’s most profitable films of the year.