Sonali Bendre reminisces about her disbelief upon receiving Rs 25000 as her first paycheck: ‘I couldn’t believe it was real!’
Sonali Bendre didn’t always aspire to be an actor, but fate led her into showbiz. Growing up in a family that moved cities frequently due to her father’s profession, Sonali’s career took off when they settled in Mumbai. Recently, the actress shared how her first paycheck in showbiz changed her decision-making process.
Sonali Bendre on her first paycheck
In the early 90s, Sonali, then 49, was surprised and realized the strong financial potential of her career when she received her first contract worth Rs 25,000. Speaking to Mid-Day, Sonali Bendre confessed that seeing the contract shifted gears in her life.
She explained, “Seeing the amount I was offered made me think about the possibilities. I said to myself, does this world really exist?”
Sonali then convinced her father that at her young age, she had time on her side and asked for three years to see if she could make it big. She told him, “If it doesn’t work out, I will do what you’re saying, but look at the amount of money. If it works out, I can use that for life.”
Sonali Bendre took up acting to support her family
In the same interview, the Sarfarosh actress revealed that her main reason for entering acting was to help her family overcome financial struggles. “If my father was not going through that kind of struggle, and if I was not seeing how my parents were struggling and what they were feeling, I would have probably not stood up and said, I’m doing it,” Sonali admitted.
ALSO READ: Sonali Bendre REACTS to receiving mail written in blood, fan dying after failing to meet her: ‘Couldn’t understand the obsession’
Sonali started her career as a teenager in modeling before moving on to ads, commercials, and then acting. Some of her notable performances include films like Diljale (1996), Duplicate (1997), Major Saab (1998), and Dhai Akshar Prem Ke (2000).
This isn’t the first time Sonali has talked about entering the industry unexpectedly. In an old interview with the Bombay Times, the Murari actress admitted that if she were a producer, she wouldn’t sign herself because she was clueless about what she was doing.
She expressed gratitude for the opportunity to learn on the job and believed that in today’s times, such opportunities may not be available as one would be expected to come prepared. Sonali added, “Whatever I am doing today is because of what I have learned. So, whether my potential was tapped or untapped, what matters is how I have grown.”
The actress believes in making the best use of the opportunities and chances life offers.
Sonali took a long break after being diagnosed with stage four metastatic cancer. She underwent treatment at a New York City hospital and became cancer-free in 2021. Bendre returned to acting with the web series The Broken News in 2021 and was recently seen in its second season.
While Sonali aims to rejuvenate her career in showbiz, she also continues to advocate for cancer awareness and support for survivors.
ALSO READ: Sonali Bendre reveals Saroj Khan was ‘ready to kill’ her for THIS reason on Shah Rukh Khan’s English Babu Desi Mem set