Jividha Sharma, who was last seen in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Mohenjo Daro, made her Bollywood debut in Taal as Aishwarya Rai’s younger sister. She later went on to play the lead in Yeh Dil Aashiqanaa (2002), a silver jubilee hit. However, despite the film’s success, Jividha soon disappeared from the big screen. In an April 2025 interview, the actress opened up about her journey, revealing how the casting couch forced her into the shadows.
“I became hot property after Yeh Dil Aashiqanaa”
Speaking about the aftermath of her big hit, Jividha told Lallantop, “Yeh Dil Aashiqanaa was a huge experience for me. It was a silver jubilee film. After that, I met almost every director of that era. I became hot property. Everyone wanted to cast me. I even signed a Telugu film with Jr NTR. But despite the film’s success, I had to struggle to get work. People asked me to compromise, but I was not ready. I wanted to work with integrity. That became the barrier in my career.”
“Some even tried to get physically close”
The actress further revealed the disturbing experiences she faced as a teenager trying to navigate Bollywood.“In the beginning, I didn’t even understand what compromise meant. Later, I realised some people were trying to get physically close in unnatural ways — sitting too close, touching me and saying ‘you are very beautiful, I like you’. That’s when I knew something was wrong. After that, one by one, projects started slipping away. Even after giving a silver jubilee hit, I had to face this.”
“I wasn’t even invited to award shows”
Jividha recalled how the industry sidelined her despite delivering a blockbuster.“Imagine, Yeh Dil Aashiqanaa came in 2002. That year, I wasn’t even invited to award shows. Forget nominations, no one even called me. Everyone knew the film was a success. I had become a star overnight, but I was treated like an outsider. I cried for days. My self-worth was shaken. I even started doubting whether compromise was necessary to survive. I wondered — maybe this is not my place, maybe I’m not worthy.”
“People said – what’s so special about you?”
Sharing how her refusal led to both rejection and humiliation, she said, “I used to hear random statements — ‘What’s so special about you that you won’t compromise? Everyone else does it.’ Such comments break you from the inside. You start doubting yourself.”When offers from Hindi films dried up, Jividha shifted to Punjabi films and later television. She made her Bollywood comeback in 2016 with Hrithik Roshan-starrer Mohenjo Daro, playing Hrithik’s mother. She also appeared in Lekh Tandon’s Phir Ussi Mod Par. However, since then, she has stayed away from films and TV.
