Mahima Chaudhry Opens Up About Working With Shah Rukh Khan In Pardes: 'My Debut Was Even Better Than...'

Mahima Chaudhry made her debut in Bollywood with Subhash Ghai’s Pardes in 1997. The actor shared the screen with Shah Rukh Khan and went on to win the Filmfare Award for her debut. In a recent interview, she reflected on her debut and spoke about how lucky she was to have received the opportunity to work with Khan on her first film.

In a conversation with India Today Digital, Mahima Chaudhry talked about her debut in 1997. She mentioned how her debut was even better than she had dreamt of. She said, “When you’re doing your first film, you imagine all kinds of things but Pardes I must say, was something that I had never dreamed of because my debut was better than even what a dream would have been. There’s something called luck that plays an important part because it’s not like I was the most talented. There were so many people who were more talented than me.”

Talking about her role in Pardes, the actor said that she fit the role because of her background. Chaudhry continued, “While luck did play an important factor in landing me my debut film, it’s only fair to say that I also did fit the character well because I’m also someone who belongs from a small town, so it was relatively easy for me to play that role with conviction. What also used to happen a lot back in the day was that a new female actor was often launched alongside a new male actor. But, I got lucky and was launched alongside the biggest superstar of that time, Shah Rukh Khan.”

Released in 1997, Chaudhry played the role of Kusum Ganga in Pardes. The movie revolved around a man who wanted an Indian bride for his NRI son. Things go south when the man realizes the woman shares a deeper bond with his foster son.

On the work front, the actor will be seen in Signature which is set to release on Zee5. She also has Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency, which will soon be released in theatres.