Hema Malini Warned Esha Deol About Being In The 'Wrong Profession': 'You Are My Daughter, If You...'

Esha Deol is the daughter of veteran actors Dharmendra and Hema Malini. As such, when she ventured into films, many compared her to her prolific mother. Esha then spoke to Hema, who advised her to develop a thick skin against all comparisons. Hema told Esha that if she let the chatter affect her, she was in the wrong profession.

Talking to Zoom, Esha, “The pressure pump started after the films were released and things were written. Then I was like, they are comparing me in my first film to my mother who has done 200 films. And they would say a lot about my baby fat. ‘Oh, she has so much baby fat’. I had, I was 18, and those cheeks were there. But they looked cute in those roles, the kind of roles that I did, I thought they looked nice.”

Esha continued, “Then I had a chat with my mom. I told her that I was getting a little overwhelmed and these things were being written. I don’t know how to handle it but it’s affecting me. Then she said ‘Why are you here?’ I said I have always wanted to join movies and act and this is something I have been wanting to do since I was a kid. She said ‘Just focus on the goal, this is going to be part of it, you are my daughter, there is going to be constant comparisons. If you are going to let it affect you, then you are in the wrong profession, if you can handle it, then continue.’ So that was a golden tip that I got,” she recalled.

Esha Deol participated in a tree plantation campaign in Mumbai and spoke candidly about her upcoming projects. She mentioned, “These days, I am busy shooting for new films. Announcements will be made very soon. All I can say is that I am very happy to be working again.”

The actress made her Bollywood debut in the year 2002 with the romantic film Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe opposite Aftab Shivadasani but the film tanked at the box office. A slew of unsuccessful projects followed until she shed her girl-next-door image and went for a bold avatar in the 2004 film Dhoom.

Dhoom became a huge success and brought popularity to Esha Deol. She appeared in films like Chura Liya Hai Tumne, Na Tum Jaano Na Hum, No Entry, Dus and Kuchh To Hai. Though some of these films did well, they did not help Esha’s career. She could not replicate the stardom of her parents and soon faded away from the industry, She was most recently seen in the OTT series Hunter Tootega Nahi Todega opposite Suneil Shetty. She is now gearing up for a second innings in the world of entertainment.