Did you know that the song Woh Ladki Hai Kahan parallels the story of how Sonali Kulkarni got the role in Dil Chahta Hai?
Yes, the talented actress got the role thanks to a filmy incident which caused director Zoya Akhtar to ask ‘Woh Ladki hai kaun?’. Apparently, somebody on the set was carrying photos of Sonali’s new portfolio when they were dropped by mistake. On seeing Sonali’s photo, Zoya said, “This is a nice face. Who is this?”. When Zoya heard Sonali’s name she was in disbelief but later Sonali got a call from Excel Entertainment asking if she could drop by the audition and Zoya wanted to see her in cool, hip, and modern clothes. The rest is history and we all know and saw Sonali Kulkarni acing the role of Pooja in Dil Chahta Hai.
With this filmy incident, Sonali shared tidbits of her life, including the everyday pressures on most Indians to study and do well. She also shared about her upcoming works.“There is a web series called Crackdown 2 directed by Apporva Lakhia, soon to be released. Mumbai Diaries 2, film Sitaara, Tibba, Jo tera hai woh mera hai, 3 Marathi films, 2 more projects in discussion, two more untitled web series in pipeline for which I am shooting.” So in total, there are 8 to 9 projects which are ready to release and 3 projects that are good to go.
Coming to the pressures of studies as in a typical Indian household, Sonali said, “I am from a family of engineers. My father is a mechanical engineer, both my brothers are also mechanical engineers. And, my husband is also from IIM, Ahmedabad. So, there are scholars in my family.” When she was unmarried, Sonali faced the pressure of studies. “My elder brother Sandeep, and my middle brother Sandesh always got good marks. Sandesh was okay till ninth, then my elder brother Sandeep warned him that if he doesn’t score above 90 percent then he will become a worker, and workers have to lift burdens or work in mills. And, due to this Sandesh got above 90 percent in tenth, and 98% in 12th.” Apparently, Sonali once tried to give an ‘oversmart’ answer to Sandeep when he asked her to continue participating in dance, drama, sports, elocution etc as long as she scored above 80 percent. “I got 79% in my eighth class. When Sandeep asked me about my marks, I gave a very silly answer, “Haan I know I have got 79 only, but everyday I used to pray to Ganpati ji.” However, the remark only earned her a sharp rebuke and Sonali realized that Ganpati ji would give her wisdom and guidance but not write her paper.
Another surprising fact Sonali shared was her preparation for competitive examinations. The gorgeous actress tried her hand at UPSC after getting inspired by Kiran Bedi’s example. “But, I got a break in films and I had completed 7-8 movies till my graduation. Then my family gave it a thought. They thought to give my career a try”, she added.
Despite such changes in her circumstances, Sonali says that she comes from a simple family that values simple lifestyle, studies, and honesty. “Yes, there has been a change in numbers, houses have got a little bigger, but still we value the simple things.”
We, at Jay-Ho! The Jay Kumar Show and our audience are indeed lucky to interact with and know such grounded people who are also one of the most glamorous and talented performers. Sonali’s example is an inspiration for us all to touch the heights of success yet remember our roots. Keep following Jay-Ho.com to know more about the very amazing Sonali Kulkarni in the coming days.
