- By Srishti Pandey
- Wed, 31 Jul 2024 11:30 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Zareen Khan recently shared her experiences and struggles in the Bollywood industry during an appearance on Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa’s podcast. Known for her debut in the 2010 film Veer alongside Salman Khan, Zareen candidly discussed the impact of constant comparisons with Katrina Kaif on her career.
Reflecting on her early days in the industry, Zareen said, "Life after 'Veer' was very bad for me, I got a lot of criticism for it. The film was so big, it still is a life-changing moment for me. Initially, I felt very happy that I was being compared to Katrina Kaif! She is so beautiful! But I think within the industry, things turned quite the opposite. For me, who used to be overweight, being compared to Katrina was huge, but it backfired badly."
The actor revealed that the comparisons led to her being perceived as 'arrogant' by many in the industry. "I was a lost child in the industry, and I didn’t know most people here. I only knew the names of the producers and directors not by their faces… but they started to feel I was arrogant because Salman Khan launched me," she shared.
Zareen also spoke about the negative feedback she received, which made her reluctant to leave her house. "There was a time I was even scared to step out of my house because people would comment on my clothes. That comparison went in a very negative way. I was called overweight. What should I do? I was given so many names, that at one point, I wanted to just sit at home," she said.
Despite the initial challenges, Zareen managed to carve out a space for herself in Bollywood. She rose to fame after her appearance in the popular dance number Character Dheela with Salman Khan in the 2011 comedy-drama Ready. Her highest-grossing release to date is Housefull 2. Over the years, she has also appeared in films like Hate Story 3, Aksar 2 1921 and several others.