Rimi Sen reveals why working in Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan and more big lms left her with no hope, forcing her to quit acting
Rimi Sen made a stunning debut in filmmaker Priyadarshan's 2003 comedy drama, Hungama. She became an overnight star and went on to star in films such as Dhoom, Baghban, Phir Hera Pheri and others. But Rimi didn't enjoy the kind of attention she was getting from the industry. She eventually decided to quit acting after being typecast in comedy.
"I was not satisfied with my work. I was looking for some sensible and meaningful cinema which filmmakers like Sriram Raghavan are doing in today's time. I was completely disappointed with most of the movies I was associated with. I just treated acting like any other profession to sustain in life and become financially stable. It took me some time or years to understand the creative process. By the time I got hold of it, I found myself being typecast in comedy. In order to break that, I tried to do certain kinds of films like Johnny Gaddaar but it didn't work out. I wasn't ready to struggle either. So I decided to quit acting," Rimi candidly told Bollywood Life in an exclusive interview.
She further added, "I didn't enjoy the fame. It was like getting up in the morning, going to the sets and coming back home after work and go to sleep. That was my life. I didn't like the attention I was getting from people. Even today, I don't like it. I like being aloof. I had disappeared from the industry a decade ago. I got into production and had produced a film, Budhia Singh, which went on to bag the National Award. Getting into production was easy for me because by then I had become a known face in the industry. It was easy to collaborate with others for work. We are currently in talks for a couple of projects. Hopefully, we will bring them out next year once things fall into place."
Rimi left the industry at the age of 26-27 when she was at the peak of her career. "Leaving the industry was a concious decision. I was pretty clear in my head that if I am not happy with my work, I would leave the industry and become financially stable. I did Bigg Boss 9 only for money. I got Rs 2.25 crore for 5-7 weeks. Only a fool would reject such an offer. I always plan my journey and abide by it. Sometimes I lose patience and then it gets me into trouble. But I always keep back-up plans for damage control," she told us adding that she often gets into trouble for speaking her mind.
After a long sabbatical, Rimi now wishes to make a comeback in films, not to revive her acting career but want to take up acting as something that makes her happy. She wishes to do more realistic cinema and do away with masala entertainers.
Since Rimi has acted in masala entertainers in the past, we asked her if it would be difficult to act in realistic cinema. To which, she replied, "No role is difficult to portray if your director is clear with his/her vision. A good director can bring out good performances from non-actors as well. As long as you have a good director, you have a good story to tell, there's nothing difficult as such. Production would be my first choice if I don't get any acting offers.
We often come across actors sharing their ordeals on getting replaced by other actors in films which they had initially signed. Rimi feels one should move on and keep working towards their goals instead of playing the victim card and keep complaining about it. "It keeps happening all the time. In fact, in every other industry, be it corporate, business or even journalism. Whoever will have a strong hold, will get the job. It's a part of life. You have to know how to play the game otherwise no one can survive in this world. People play the victim card and speak about getting replaced by some other actors. Whatever has happened, has happened. Just move on. If you are destined to reach where you want to, you will get there sooner or later. Just keep working towards your goals," Rimi said.
During her stay in Bigg Boss 9, Rimi had spoken about not getting married and not being ready to have children. When we asked about it, Rimi said that she is happy and content in her life and doesn't feeling like getting married. "I'm 39 and I still don't feel like getting married. When I will feel it, I will do it. And I don't even think about it. There's no pressure from my family either. Whenever I need help or support, my friends and associates are there by my side," she concluded.