- Sonali Kulkarni expressed candid jealousy of Tabu winning the 1997 National Award for Maachis
- Sonali won a Special Jury Award at the 49th National Film Awards for Marathi short Chaitra in 2002
- She met Tabu on a Film City staircase during Mission Kashmir filming and praised her humility
It is rare to find actors in the industry express admiration and the idea of being jealous as candidly as Sonali Kulkarni did recently. But it was all in good humour.
A while ago, during an interview, the Dil Chahta Hai actress spoke about how she felt very jealous of Tabu when the latter won the National Film Award for Best Actress for the 1996 film Maachis in 1997.
In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Sonali Kulkarni, who is currently gearing up for the release of her Telugu movie The Paradise with Nani, once again very candidly said, “My emotions came purely out of jealousy.”
Sonali Kulkarni explained, “But my emotions came purely from jealousy. I really wanted a National Award because that is where you embark on your success. I have the highest respect for the National Award. And back then, when I started my career, I really wanted one.”
The actress did win a Special Mention / Special Jury Award at the 49th National Film Awards in 2002 for her role in the Marathi short film Chaitra. However, she reiterates that it is nowhere close to where her ambitions lie.
She continues, “I have a long way to go. I definitely want to make our country feel proud of me. But yeah, that was the scene. And that is why I went and saw Tabu's performances.”
Sonali Kulkarni Meeting Tabu After Watching Her Films
Furthermore, the actress shared a rare anecdote of when she went and met Tabu after watching her films.
Sonali Kulkarni played a crucial role in the 2000 film Mission Kashmir. She portrayed Neelima Khan, the wife of Sanjay Dutt's character (Inayat Khan) and the foster mother/stepmother to Hrithik Roshan's character (Altaaf Khan).
She recalled a meeting with Tabu during that time, when the latter was most probably filming for Chandni Bar.
Sonali Kulkarni shared, “What I have never mentioned is that after watching her films, there was a day when I got to meet her, and I was waiting to meet her. I was waiting during Mission Kashmir, and I think she was shooting for Chadni Bar. I remember this staircase in Film City in Mumbai, and my hairdresser had told me, ‘Abhi unka shot khatm hoga, aur unka make-up room udhar hai. So idhar mil sakte hai.' And I was waiting. I remember her wearing a beautiful Lucknow kurta. She was looking like a swan. And I hurriedly wanted to encash that fan moment. So I went and told her that my name is this and I really like you. And she's really unique because she took a pause. She received the compliments. She waited for me to finish and she said, ‘Thank you so much.' I felt so nice. She just asked a couple of questions and, you know, it relaxed me as an actor, as a person — that stars too are human beings.”
Recalling another moment with Aishwarya Rai, Sonali Kulkarni says, “I remember once I had told Aishwarya that she was looking so nice and the dress was very… it was a Diwali day. And she said, ‘You liked it? Oh, I'm so happy because I have designed it.' And you know, it's so human. Yeah. I'm very blessed because I have got to experience many such enriched moments.”
Upcoming Work
As for her upcoming work, Sonali Kulkarni, who has had an enriching filmography across mediums and languages, is now all set for another bone‑chilling performance in The Paradise, set to release in theatres on September 24.