Alia Bhatt’s mother Soni Razdan recalls not getting work after marriage to Mahesh Bhatt: ‘I got so angry’

Soni Razdan’s journey in Bollywood has been a mix of personal joy and professional challenges. She met filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt on the sets of ‘Saaransh’ and married him in 1986, right in the prime of her career. Soon, she became a mother, welcoming her first daughter Shaheen Bhatt on 28 November 1988 and her second daughter, Alia Bhatt, on 15 March 1993. While her personal life blossomed, her professional career faced major challenges, a reality for many female actors of that era, who were expected to step back and prioritise family over career.In an interview with News18 Showsha, Soni addressed the nature of the industry. She said, “I’ve grown up in this industry, in the sense that I’ve been here for so many years. There has been a huge change over the years. I find it to be an almost different world altogether. When I had started out, I was doing really well. And then suddenly, I got married. I wasn’t getting any work after that.”Soni recalls how feedback about her marriage upset her. “I got a feedback from somewhere that since she’s now so and so’s wife, why does she need to work? I got so angry!” The feeling of being sidelined left her frustrated, until a new opportunity came her way.Her career began to turn around with the television series ‘Buniyaad’, directed by Ramesh Sippy and Jyoti Sarup. “But then, luckily, ‘Buniyaad’ happened and after that, I got to work in some really good films. But before that, I was so upset. But this is what has changed today,” Soni said, highlighting the change in her professional life.Soni also spoke about how the industry has evolved and no longer discriminates against women. She expressed pride that actresses today can work on their own terms and stressed that one cannot delay life. She reflected that in her time, they were postponing their own lives because of work, which she called ridiculous. According to her, whether one is an actor, musician, or creative artiste, living life fully is essential and cannot be done from an isolated or privileged position.Despite her work in acclaimed films, Soni feels that her identity is often defined by her family. She explained that all her life, even now, she has been seen as somebody else’s somebody and that her struggle continues to be recognised for who she truly is. She added that she is happy for those around her who are doing well in their lives and feels grateful. However, she believes that perhaps her journey was meant to be this way, and now she laughs about it and simply continues, thinking that it is okay.On the work front, Soni Razdan’s recent movie ‘Songs of Paradise’ began streaming on OTT from 29 August.