Sneha Ullal became an overnight sensation after playing the opposite lead Salman Khan in Lucky: No Time for Love. He is often remembered for his striking resemblance Aishwarya Rai BachchanSneha recently opened up about her surprise debut in Bollywood, the sacrifices fame has brought in her life and how her mother’s battle with cancer influenced her decision to enter films.Speaking to AlphaNeon Studioz, the actor revealed that acting was never part of his plans and had no connection with Bollywood before he found himself on the streets of Mumbai.
“I just finished 10th grade”
Recalling how she landed her debut film, Sneha said, “I had just finished my 10th standard and joined college when Arpita Khan’s friends saw me. They were auditioning for the character of Lucky at the same time. I guess they told Salman Khan about me, and then they contacted me.”At the time, Sneha was just 16 years old, and despite the glamor surrounding Salman Khan’s Offer 38, the actress admitted that she accepted the film for personal reasons.
“My mother was undergoing treatment for cancer”
Sneha revealed that her family was going through a difficult phase emotionally when she was approached for the film.“When I was approached for the film, I was personally in a very bad place. My mother was undergoing treatment for cancer. Our home environment was quite depressing,” he said.He also added, “I took Lucky to distract my family. My mother liked to travel, so I accepted the offer to do this. A lot of things changed for me regardless of whether I was interested in art or not.”
“The movie took away my freedom”
Reflecting on her sudden fame, Sneha admitted that the experience came with several sacrifices.“I got a lot of love for the film. It was a difficult journey. That film took a lot from me, but it also gave me a lot at the same time,” he said.“It took away my freedom, my college life. I never got to experience my teenage years or my 20s. I went from being 16 to being an adult overnight. It was a commitment. I didn’t understand it then, but I do now.”However, she also acknowledged Salman Khan’s support during that phase, adding, “Salman Khan took good care of me.”
compared to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Apart from the film, Sneha became widely known for her resemblance to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Coming to the comparisons, the actor said that they never affected him personally.“When Aishwarya Rai became Miss World, people around me would say I looked a lot like her. Later, the PR game was like that, and since I debuted opposite Salman Khan, people connected the dots on that angle,” she explained.“But it never bothered me. I was too young for that.”
“I was never glamorous”
Sneha further revealed that she received modeling and acting offers from Oman whenever she visited India since childhood, but her family remained hesitant about the entertainment industry.“Since I was a child, I would get many offers. Whenever I visited India from Oman, people from various brands would approach me. But we were very scared of this industry,” he shared.“I’m not very glamorous; I’m very tomboyish. People often wonder where this actress disappeared to after Lucky, but I was never sure about acting. I was very confused. I didn’t understand the technicalities and I was never into glamour.”He added that some family members had warned him against entering films because the industry was “unfair and scary”.
Sneha Ullal on animal activism and future plans
Beyond films, Sneha says she has found purpose in animal activism and hopes to continue helping the cause.“If I wasn’t an actor, I would start a business related to animals and the planet. I’m an animal activist,” she shared.“I am very prominent in the animal activist community. I have rescued many animals and I hope to continue to do more.”He also recalled the moment he changed his approach to food and became a vegetarian.“When I entered the industry, I was a non-vegetarian. But one incident changed my life. When someone was tending to a goat and I asked them not to do it, they questioned my eating habits. After that, everything changed,” he said.After her Hindi films failed to recapture the success of Lucky: No Time for Love, Sneha switched to Telugu, Kannada and Bengali films.Now 38, the actor says he hopes to return to Bollywood with meaningful roles that rely on substance rather than glamour.“I am making my way back to Bollywood, the right way. I want to build relationships with good people in the industry. I have a vision of the kind of actor I want to be,” he said.Sneha Ullal has Sako 360, Scar, Third October and a Telugu film in the works.
