Ad filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar recently opened up about his experience working with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Sushmita Sen. While reflecting on their contrasting personalities, he described Aishwarya as a “private, family-oriented” person, whereas Sushmita, he said, was “muffat” (outspoken and candid).
On Aishwarya’s dignified silence
Speaking about Aishwarya, Kakkar shared that he has known her since her first shoot and watched her journey to superstardom through Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s films. “Aishwarya is a very private person; she’s not a public person. She doesn’t open up in front of anybody. She has a very small circle of close friends whom she trusts, and only with them does she actually talk freely,” he told ANI.He added that because of this nature, the media often misunderstood her. “If they don’t have access to somebody, they’ll badmouth them. Aishwarya has always had this policy that she will not give single interviews. She’ll hold a press conference where everyone can ask questions, but her private life is completely out of bounds,” he explained.Kakkar also spoke about Aishwarya’s grace during her much-publicised relationship with Salman Khan. “Even when she was with Salman Khan, she didn’t speak a word because that’s her dignity. Aishwarya realised very early in life that her silence was her dignity and her strength. It bothered the media, and they constantly tried to demean or criticise her so she’d react — but she never did,” he said.
On Sushmita’s openness
In contrast, Kakkar described Sushmita Sen as the complete opposite. “Sushmita is an open book. She’s muffat, and she doesn’t care. Whatever they say — good or bad — she owns it. If it’s about her boyfriend, she’ll say, ‘Yes, he’s my boyfriend.’ She never held anything back, and that’s why she was a darling of the press,” he shared.
However, Kakkar noted that both actresses eventually became disenchanted with the film industry. “Sushmita got disenchanted with the industry — just like Aishwarya eventually did — and became difficult to access. I think she stopped trusting people. She was a little like Parveen Babi, somewhat westernised and a fish out of water in certain circumstances,” he said.
On the industry’s treatment of independent women
According to Kakkar, both actresses were “roddied to some extent” because of their independence. “They were such independent women, and the rest of the country doesn’t understand independent women. Our society is so patriarchal,” he concluded.
