Anu Aggarwal Opens Up About 90s Bollywood and Why She Quit Acting
Fame from Aashiqui Changed Her Life Overnight
Anu Aggarwal became a well-known face across India after her debut in the 1990 romantic film Aashiqui. The film was a huge hit, and Anu quickly rose to fame. However, behind the success, she had to deal with many challenges that came with stardom.
Bollywood and the Underworld in the 90s
In a recent interview with Pinkvilla, Anu spoke openly about the dark side of Bollywood during the 1990s. She said that in those days in Bollywood, many films were funded by money coming from the underworld. She even called the film industry of that time “dirty.” (Also read: Ananya Panday Breaks Silence on Brutal Body Shaming in Bollywood)
Anu revealed that most deals were done in secret, and well-known gangsters like Dawood Ibrahim were said to be controlling things from behind the scenes. Although she doesn’t know how the industry works today, she feels that back then, things were risky and not very safe.
Fame Became Too Much to Handle
While Aashiqui made her a star, the fame also became too much for Anu. She said fans would wait outside her house just to see her. Some people even came from other countries to catch a glimpse of her home.
Luckily, she was living in a government building meant for MLAs and MPs, which had police protection. But the stress and lack of privacy became hard to deal with. She shared that Shah Rukh Khan was her neighbour during that time, and she compared her experience to the kind of fan attention he still gets today. Due to all the pressure, Anu decided to walk away from the film industry.
She Wasn’t Paid Fully for Aashiqui
One of the most surprising things Anu revealed was about her first film. Even though Aashiqui was a massive success, she said she didn’t receive her full payment. She claimed that she was only paid 60% of what she was promised, and the remaining 40% is still unpaid.
A Career Cut Short by an Accident
After Aashiqui, Anu worked in other films like Ghazab Tamasha, King Uncle, Ram Shastra, and more. But in 1999, she had a serious car accident. She was in a coma for 29 days. After that, she never returned to acting. Her last film was Return of Jewel Thief, released in 1996.
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