What is Sonali Bendre upto these days?

Since morning I have been refraining from writing about Sonali Bendre but finally gave into her timeless charm. Now, let me explain to you why I was not willing to write about her – she is not active in films, she is not even judging any reality show these days and on top of that, I am already TGIF-zoned. But after the second look at her picture on Instagram, I could not resist anymore. 

It took me back to her heydays when she would be a hot property in the tinsel town. She used to star opposite superstars to the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, Govinda, Akshay, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan. The flashes of her dancing in Duplicate, Lajja and Bombay, started playing in my head. They were referred to as a song-dance sequence in the movies during her time. There was no concept of item numbers then. Apart from grooving to some hit numbers, she was also well known for setting temperature soaring in films by wearing bold outfits. Bold – by the standards of 90s, not today. Acting? In this department, she was so-so. No wonder, soon she slipped in to second fiddle roles. Yet we, as school girls, were mesmerised by her iconic image. 

Later, when I had just started out as a journalist 2010, I got an opportunity to interview her. But by then, she had quit Bollywood and had turned her gaze to television. Since I had grown watching her movies and wished to see her in films again, in my set of questions, the crucial one was – will she make a comeback in films? To which her answer was – no. My next question was again around the same thought - just in case she is approached by a banner, a filmmaker or a hero with whom she always dreamed to work with, still she won’t return? She was again upfront – no. I had not given up yet. Again I asked her, what would it take a filmmaker to lure you back in films. Before she could reply, the PR barged into the room we were seated in and asked me, if I am done with the interview. I was only about ask her for a few more minutes’ extension, Sonali replied – “She has yet not got her headline?” However, when she did a cameo as Mumtaz Khan in Once Upon In Mumbai Dobara, I got my answer.  

Anyway! Coming back to her Instagram post. Clad in an Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla creation, this Marathi mulgi has transformed in to a stunning Punjabi kudi, someone we were used to seeing on silver screen in the late 90s and early noughties. Bejewelled with a gorgeous bracelet and a pair of designer earrings that are a marriage of chandbalis and jhumkas, Sonali once again bewitched me with her timeless appeal and proved that beauty isn’t bound by the clock or the calendar. 

Author: Deepa Mishra

Disclaimer: All images used in the blog have been sourced from Google purely for the purpose of informative reference. The models, celebrities or products showcased in these pictures are not to promote any brand in any manner.