In a recent interview, Sonali Bendre reflected on her experience portraying one of the female leads in Mahesh Bhatt’s Duplicate, which was among the highest-grossing Bollywood films of 1998.

Sonali Bendre, known for her grace and charm, was a prominent presence in both Bollywood and Telugu cinema during the 1990s. One of her notable collaborations with Shah Rukh Khan was in Duplicate, where he portrayed dual roles—one virtuous and the other villainous. Sonali played the love interest of the antagonist ‘Manu’ and shared the spotlight as a female lead alongside Juhi Chawla. However, despite the film’s commercial success, Sonali later expressed dissatisfaction with the role she was given.

Sonali Bendre Says Her Character in Duplicate Lacked Depth

In a recent conversation with Bollywood Bubble, Sonali Bendre spoke candidly about her experience working on the 1998 blockbuster Duplicate, which starred Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla. Sonali portrayed ‘Lily,’ the love interest of SRK’s villainous character ‘Manu.’ She reflected on how her role became increasingly one-dimensional as the narrative progressed. The actress shared:

“It was a film that a lot of people talked about. But this is one of those films that really helped shape the way I wanted my character to be. The idea was to have beautiful grey shades in this character, but it kind of started becoming very one-dimensional. I think it became more of a secondary character when I got onto it.”

Sonali Bendre Reflects on Not Receiving Her Due Credit in Duplicate

Sonali Bendre reflected on her two contrasting experiences working with Mahesh Bhatt. In the same year as Duplicate, she also appeared in Zakhm, alongside Ajay Devgn, Nagarjuna, and Pooja Bhatt. Although she wasn’t in a lead role in Zakhm, Sonali was enthusiastic about being part of the project. However, her experience in Duplicate was markedly different, despite playing one of the female leads, she felt overlooked. In her words: 

“When I did Zakhm, I knew it wasn’t the main character. I knew Pooja (Bhatt) had that role. But it was a beautiful story with Bhatt Sahab, and I just wanted to be a part of it, so I did it. But when Duplicate was concerned, I was supposed to have had an equal amount. And at that point, it started to feel like it wasn’t the same kind of role anymore. So at that time, I did start to feel like I wasn’t getting my due. But I think eventually, it all evened out, and I did get my due.”

Sonali Bendre Reflects on Her Duplicate Role, Calls It a ‘Caricature

Earlier, in a conversation with India Today, Sonali Bendre shared her disappointment with her experience working on Duplicate. Despite the film’s commercial success, she expressed dissatisfaction due to the unexpected shift in her character arc as the narrative progressed. The actress recalled that the storyline became unfocused, and ultimately, she felt reduced to a caricature rather than portraying the nuanced grey character she had initially envisioned. In her words:

“It was very exciting and challenging for me to portray that character. We started preparing for the role in that way and also started shooting it accordingly, but slowly, as things moved, I felt I became a caricature and not really the grey character I was supposed to play… the thing that I remember the most is… how much a story can get derailed and how much you can start with something and where it goes. And, for me, that was a huge lesson… But then, as you go forward, sometimes you do things for that paycheck… I don’t want to be slotted and boxed, and I want to do characters that break this stereotype.”