From opening up about losing a leg in a tragic accident to being unemployed for 7 years after Naache Mayuri: When Sudha Chandran spoke about life, parent's support and career

Seasoned actress Sudha Chandran, who is popularly known on TV for her negative roles, has a long list of awards, recognitions and honours to her credit. The actress, who has been part of the entertainment industry for three decades and has worked in multiple languages, once recalled her tragic accident where she lost her leg. While talking to Times of India TV, exclusively, Sudha also spoke about the dull period in her career when she was unemployed for 7 years and how TV show Kahin Kisi Roz changed her life. (Photo: Instagram)

I really had no choice, for me there were only two paths. Either I start walking or I would have destroyed my life. Destroyed in a sense I would have not lived, actually I didn’t want to live after the accident. It was because of my parents that I bounced back. Somehow we tend to forget the role of our parents in our life. Probably, my parents were the only reason why I decided to keep going in life. Otherwise, I had no other reason. There were many moments when I questioned why I was still alive. But whenever I looked at my parents, I knew I had to live for them. To move forward, I needed a dream to chase, and my parents believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. They encouraged me to try, supported me fully, and gave me the freedom to follow my dreams. If even one of them had stopped me, I don’t think I would have had the courage to continue. (Photo: Instagram)

All I wanted was to make my parents proud. After my accident, they were deeply hurt and were very disappointed with life. I felt their dreams had shattered. I prayed to God for just one chance to prove myself, to give them something to feel proud of and to show that my life was not a failure. (Photo: Instagram)

Initially, I did not struggle to find work in the industry because my first film was based on my own life, Mayuri. It is sad that people and the media are talking so much about biopics but how can they forget the first biopic which was made in our country was Nache Mayuri and I played the title role. There have been so many biopics but nobody has enacted their own character. I was the only one to do it ,but there has been no mention about me. It is very disheartening. The producer of my film was the pioneer who started the trend of biopics. The real struggle started after many of my films did not work. People would come up to me and say that you are not cut for the industry. Just because one film based on your life worked doesn't mean you are made for the industry. They would advise me to leave the film industry. They would tell me you are an intelligent student pursuing IAS, IFS. I am very happy that in life God has given me this attribute that I don’t listen to anyone. Whenever I have any problem in life I discuss it with my parents and husband. I know that their decisions for me can never go wrong. (Photo: Instagram)

I sat home for 7 years without any work. I was unemployed for 7 long years of my career. Despite winning a national award for Nache Mayuri, I had to sit home for 7 years unemployed. Today, people say that they are not able to survive 6 months in the pandemic but I survived for 6 years without any work. I waited because I believed If I have come to this industry, there must be a reason. I trusted myself, the industry and God above all. I was a post graduate with Economics, I could have got any other lucrative job, but I still waited for the magic to happen and it happened with Balaji Telefilms Kahin Kisi Roz’s Ramola Sikand. That was the turning point and the same people who once asked me to quit the industry came and awarded me the best negative actress award. And I consider it as the achievement of my life. (Photo: Instagram)

I got a call from Ekta's production house Balaji. Neetu was the creative at that time she called me. She told me they are doing this show which is a crime thriller and asked me to come for the narration. This was a time when Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki were huge hits. When they were narrating the role, I asked the creative to confirm if they had called me for negative Ramola or for Shaina because at that time I thought I was not fit to play negative. But the creative director said that Ekta Kapoor wanted me to play Ramola the negative. I was still confused because I come from a middle-class family and this role was of a rich business tyrant. That time I didn't have any work so I told myself let’s not ask questions and just do the project. When you don’t have work and you are sitting at home you start doubting yourself, your talent and probably I was also going through that phase. (Photo: Instagram)

I remember twice Ekta had come on the sets. The first time she came I asked her are you sure I will be able to do justice to the show? She told me ma’am, ‘I am giving you six months and believe me you will be the most talked about character on TV’. Then I asked, “just like Tulsi and Parvati’ and she told me you will be in another league and genre. True to her words she came 6 months later and she said now what do you want to say ma’am. I feel her conviction of picking up actors for characters is brilliant and will be brilliant. (Photo: Instagram)

I never got to taste the success of my character as we were busy working day and night. I was just doing my job and things changed and I earned a lot of respect. I feel anyone can earn money in our industry but earning respect is very difficult and I feel I have managed to do that. In the last 35 years whenever I have met anyone on set or any other place people have only given me respect. I think this is the biggest reward. (Photo: Instagram)

Now, whenever I meet people in the Hindi belt they recognise me either as Ramola Sikand or Yamini from Naagin because it also became a popular character even though I was not playing the title role. But I have been very lucky that even though I did not play title roles, I still became a household name. Be it my role in Kahin Kisi Roz or Naagin but my characters have always been loved by the audience. I am very lucky that I have got such popular characters because in television it happens that you get just one super hit character but with me I feel I am very lucky that I have persistently been getting such good characters and have etched a name for myself. (Photo: Instagram)

Television and negative roles have played an important part in my career. I feel that I wouldn’t have survived in the industry for over 25 years, if I had not taken up the wonderful negative characters that came my way. When people tell me aree what you still doing TV? I tell them, this television industry has made so many people's lives and has given them fame, money and stability. When one production house stops working, 100 technicians have to sit home. I always pray television keeps working and people keep watching TV shows. (Photo: Instagram)