Sonakshi Sinha recently disclosed that her entry into Bollywood was unplanned, crediting Salman Khan and his brother Arbaaz Khan for launching her acting career.
The actress, who debuted opposite Salman Khan in the 2010 blockbuster ‘Dabangg’, shared her journey during an appearance on Ranveer Allahabadia’s podcast.
Early Encouragement from Salim Khan
Sonakshi Sinha explained how her path to acting began through her father’s close friendship with Salim Khan, Salman’s father.
“I was never inclined. Salim Khan Saab and my father are very close friends. We would go to Galaxy Apartments for Ganpati, Diwali and all. At the age of 16, Salim Saab would say, ‘Why are you doing fashion designing? Stop wasting your time. Just become an actor.’ I was overweight then. He used to keep lecturing me,” she recalled.
Fashion Week Encounter
A pivotal moment occurred at Lakme Fashion Week, where Sonakshi Sinha worked as a college volunteer. “One fine day, I was at the Lakme Fashion Week as a volunteer from college; I was ushering people. It was a 5-day event for which I got Rs 3000. Salman, Arbaaz and family came there, and they saw me. They were like, ‘What are you doing here?’ Salman even asked me to take him out for dinner with my first salary. I was like it is impossible,” she shared.
The ‘Dabangg’ Opportunity
The breakthrough came at Amrita Arora’s wedding after Sinha had lost weight. “Arbaaz Bhai saw me there and offered me a film. I didn’t take him seriously at that time. But he reached my home with Abhinav Kashyap and Dilip Shukla.
They narrated the film to me. They shook hands, smiled and left. Nobody asked me if I want to do this film or not. And the next thing I know, I am on set. I really believe in destiny. After reaching the set, I understood that this is where I belong,” Sinha explained.
Career Trajectory
Over 15 years, Sonakshi Sinha has demonstrated versatility through films including ‘Lootera’, ‘Dabangg 2’, ‘Dabangg 3’, ‘Akira’, ‘Noor’, ‘Kalank’, and ‘Nikita Roy’. She will next appear in ‘Jatadhara’ alongside Sudheer Babu, continuing her exploration of diverse roles in Indian cinema.
