Actress Kiran Joneja who began her career as a model and was later introduced in films by the Rajshri banner with Shaheen and went on to become a household name after her impactful roles in Buniyaad and Mahabharat. But in a surprising and emotional revelation, she has now opened up about how those very roles led to the early decline of her acting journey.
In an exclusive conversation with Lehren Retro, Kiran Joneja revealed that playing Veerawali in Buniyaad and Ganga in Mahabharat both roles that showed her character’s full arc from youth to old age ended up boxing her into a motherly image too soon in her early 20s.
Reflecting on how viewers remember only the final stage of her characters’ lives, she shared, “Vo 2 serials ke baad mother’s roles aane lag gaye and that’s why I lost out on a lot of roles, because how can I play mother at this age and to people who are older than me?” The industry’s tendency to typecast had real consequences on her career growth. Even as a young actress, filmmakers began offering her mother roles to stars older than her.
While talking about the turning point in her life, she added a line that summed up her entire struggle, “Meri jahan se Buniyaad bani, wahi Buniyaad khatam bhi ho gayi. Matlab as far as cinema is concerned.”
Kiran also spoke about her husband, legendary director Ramesh Sippy who envisioned her as Veerawali in Buniyaad. She clarified that before saying yes to the role, he asked her if she could portray a character spanning different ages and trusted her completely with the part.
To hear her full journey insights, watch the complete interview below.
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