Soni Razdan has built an identity of her own in the film industry, separate from being filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt’s wife or actor Alia Bhatt’s mother. For the veteran actor, acting has remained at the heart of who she is, even as her personal relationships have often become part of the public narrative around her.In a recent conversation with Galatta Plus, Soni opened up about her journey in the industry, the challenges she encountered early in her career and how she believes her appearance may have influenced the opportunities that came her way.During the interview, she was asked who she considers herself to be beyond her roles as Mahesh Bhatt’s wife and Alia’s mother. Soni replied, “I was a struggling actress. After I married Mahesh Bhatt, I’m still a struggling actress. After I became Alia’s mother, I’m still a struggling actress. That’s who I am. I’m just an actor who really loves acting. And I’ve had the opportunity to work with some wonderful people, some wonderful directors.“Looking back at her career, Soni admitted that the road was not always easy. She believes that her looks may have worked against her at a time when there were certain expectations of how a Hindi film heroine should look.“I wouldn’t say it’s been a very smooth ride for me. Because I’m sure if I had looked much more Indian, it would have been a lot easier. Because I don’t think I’m lacking in the department of talent. Perhaps it was my unusual looks that didn’t fit here. And perhaps, if I had been 25 today, that wouldn’t have been an issue. But when I was 25, that was, I think, the hurdle I had to face,” she said.Soni also recalled beginning her career in theatre and initially believing that the stage would remain her primary profession. However, financial realities eventually pushed her towards films.“But I started with theatre. And I always thought I would be a theatre actor, not realising that theatre doesn’t give you any money. So very soon, I had to come down to reality.”For Soni, acting was never about simply becoming a glamorous face in films. She wanted her performances to define her career and be recognised as an actor rather than merely a “glam doll”.Soni was most recently seen in ‘Shaque: Trust No One’, which is streaming on Netflix.
