In a recent interview, actress Sushmita Sen said she always spoke her mind, even back in the 90s, but was labelled a “bad influence” at the time. When asked if she faced any repercussions of being a badass in the industry, Sush opened up about her early days.
Sush said, “There were (repercussions) in the '90s because back then, it was a much more closeted society. So for you to speak your mind and to say anything that you believed in was like, ‘Phew! She is a bad influence, don’t get her in front of our kids and everyone else.’” The actor also said that because of her quotes, magazines were asked to steer clear of putting her on their cover page. She added that she does not blame them as she was ‘very loud and clear.’
"I thought ‘if you take away my freedom to express myself, what freedom do I really have?’ So am I going to scare away from speaking my mind or am I just going to learn it how to say it better, say it nicer? Which I did learn because I think I didn’t have that tact before. Having said that, social media and the world today… everyone has a voice and the world is far more accepting. There is still that ‘haww’ element,' but it is not as bad as the '90s," she added.
Sushmita is currently riding high on the critical acclaim that her latest release, ‘Taali’ has garnered. She features in the lead role of Shreegauri Sawant in the web series, which is based on the life and struggles of a transgender activist. Directed by National Award-winning director Ravi Jadhav, ‘Taali’ his created by Arjun Singgh Baron and Kartk D Nishandar.