New Delhi:
Soni Razdan has had a long career in Hindi cinema with films like Summary and television shows, incl the foundation established him as a top actor. She recently recalled how her career came to an abrupt halt after she married filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt in 1986.
During an interview with zoomSoni recalls that the work he was already committed to continued even after his marriage, but new opportunities simply stopped coming. “I was already working when I got married. So the work continued, but after that, nothing happened. Just zero. It’s like everything is gone,” she said.
When Soni asked Mahesh why the work suddenly disappeared, he learned that his marriage was being cited as the reason for his withdrawal from acting. He learned that people had directly questioned Mahesh as to why he needed to work now that he was married.
“Your wife needs to work? She’s married, isn’t she?” He remembered them.
For Sony, the idea that marriage should automatically end an actor’s career was difficult to fathom. “It was an alien concept to me. I didn’t come from that thought process, that mindset. In those days, a lot of people did,” he said.
Soni Razdan on marriage and female actors
In retrospect, Soni related her experience to a wider pattern in the Hindi film industry, where women were often expected to choose between marriage and their careers.
“That’s why actors pace themselves and don’t get married first,” he said. Soni said that he was not ready to make this choice just to save his career. “But me, I was in love. I had to get married,” she added.
Soni Razdan called the industry patriarchy
Soni also spoke about big attitudes towards women in the film industry, describing the environment as deeply patriarchal and shaped by the male gaze.
“It was patriarchal. It was totally patriarchal. It’s all about the male gaze and some skewed perception of what a desirable woman really is,” he said.
He further questioned why a female actor’s personal relationships should affect how she is viewed professionally.
“And why does he have to be the first favorite too? I get it. You’re in movies. People are going to watch you for two and a half hours. You have something better to show, something they want to see. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a relationship,” he concluded.
Soni Razdan’s marriage
The actor met filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt on the sets of the film Summary. The two tied the knot in 1986, when Soni was at the peak of her acting career. The couple later welcomed two daughters – Shaheen Bhatt in November 1988 and Alia Bhatt in March 1993.
Sony Razdan’s professional front
Sony is currently part of Netflix’s latest release, Shake: Trust no oneProduced under the direction of Rencil de Silva and backed by Alchemy Films. Titled by Parineeti Chopra, the psychological drama explores the delicate line between faith and doubt, instinct and truth, love and passion.
Apart from Parineeti and Soni, the series also stars Jennifer Winget, Anoop Soni, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Harleen Sethi, Sumeet Vyas and Dhruv Chaudhary.
Also Read: ‘Had to fight to babysit’: Soni Razdan praises how Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor are raising Raha