This actress was a star in the 90s, giving hits in three languages, but a remark from a superstar and family tragedy derailed her career
The Indian film industry was a different beats back in the late-80s and 90s. A lot of things that were not just acceptable but the norm back then would not fly today. Many top stars have acquired sensitivity that the previous generation lacked. But that cut-throat attitude some 30 years ago did cost a lot of careers. One of them belonged to this young actress who became a star in three different industries but then left it all before she turned 30.
The actress who was mocked by a superstar for her dark skin
Shanthi Priya, also called Shantipriya, was an actress in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu films in the late-80s and early-90s. The actress began her journey in films with the 1987 Telugu release Kaboye Alludu, before making her Tamil debut with Enga Ooru Pattukaran the same year. Over the next few years, she established herself as a promising young star in both industries before making her Bollywood debut opposite Akshay Kumar with Saugandh in 1991.
Akshay Kumar and Shanthi Priya
It was on the sets of this film that Shanthi Priya alleges she was body shamed by Akshay. In an interview with Siddharth Kannan recently, the actress said that Akshay once remarked about her knees being dark in front of everyone on the sets, which led to everyone laughing at her. “I think he was a naughty brat when and in that format, he must have just thrown (the remark) away like a joke. He must've not realised it was a sensitive topic,'' she said. The actress said that Akshay later clarified he was joking but never apologised.
Shanthi Priya’s tragic personal life
In the early-90s, Shanthi Priya met fellow actor Siddharth Ray and the two tied the knot in 1992. Siddharth, the grandson of V Shantaram, had appeared in films like Baazigar. While Shanthi Priya quit films in the mid-90s to focus on family life, Siddharth continued to act. Howeer, in 2004, tragedy struck when Siddharth passed away at the age of 40 after a heart attack. The actress then raised her two kids and years later, even returned to acting, appearing in the web series Dharavi Bank.
Siddharth Ray and Shanthi Priya
Shanthi Priya’s return to acting
But while she might be getting noticed upon her comeback, Shanthi Priya says that return wasn’t easy. In an interview with Bollywood Thikana, the actress said that she reached out to Akshay Kumar a few years ago when she was planning to return to films. She said that while the actor was cordial and professional, he refused to help and later ghosted her. “I messaged Akshay, no reply. Seen, no reply; seen, no reply; seen, no reply. It was horrible. And my mom has a soft corner for him. I asked her if I should still call him, she said stop,” she told Bollywood Thikana.
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 "Akshay Kumar and Shanthi Priya in Saugandh")
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