Mahima Chaudhry, a beloved actress from the ’90s, is back in the limelight as old stories about her struggles in Bollywood resurface. Best remembered for her role as Ganga in Pardes opposite Shah Rukh Khan, Mahima recently shared details about the hardships she faced, particularly with director Subhash Ghai, who played a pivotal role in launching her career.
In a recently resurfaced interview, Mahima spoke about being bullied by Ghai, alleging that he even took her to court. She claimed he actively tried to sabotage her career by instructing producers not to work with her. The revelations have sparked discussions among fans, revisiting her challenging journey in the industry. Recalling the ordeal, she had told an entertainment portal, “I was bullied by Mr. Subhash Ghai. He even took me to the court and wanted me to cancel my first show. It was quite stressful. He sent a message to all the producers that nobody should work with me! If you pick up one of the issues of Trade Guide magazine in 1998 or 1999, there was an ad that he had given which stated that if anybody wanted to work with me, that person would have to contact him. Otherwise, it would be a breach of contract. However, there was no such contract which said that I had to seek his permission.”
Mahima further revealed that she was originally set to star alongside Manoj Bajpayee in the 1998 film Satya but was replaced by Urmila Matondkar without any prior notice. She only discovered the news through media reports, despite having already accepted the signing amount. Reflecting on the incident, she said, “He didn’t even have the courtesy to inform me or my manager. I found out from the press that he had already started shooting without me.”
Her struggles didn’t end there. In 1999, Mahima suffered a severe car accident while filming Dil Kya Kare, requiring surgery to remove shards of glass from her face. On the personal front, she married businessman Bobby Mukherji in 2006, and they welcomed their daughter Ariana in 2007. However, the couple divorced in 2013 due to compatibility issues. In recent years, Mahima made a comeback with the Zee5 film The Signature in 2024, where she starred alongside Anupam Kher.
