Susmita Mukherjee Says Financial Crisis Forced Her to Take Roles She Regretted

Mumbai — Veteran actress Susmita Mukherjee has said she accepted low-quality and sexist film roles during a severe financial crisis after her production company collapsed under a Rs 1 crore loan.

In a video shared on social media, Mukherjee spoke candidly about the difficult period and the compromises she made to support her family.

“Did I sell my soul? Of course I sold my soul,” she said. “I didn’t feel good then. I still don’t feel good about it, but it was my helplessness.”

Mukherjee clarified that she did not work in pornography, but said she appeared in films she considered poorly made, derogatory toward women and inconsistent with the kind of work she wanted to pursue.

She said the crisis began in 2002, when Prayas Production, the media company she ran with her husband, went bankrupt. The couple was left with a Rs 1 crore debt at a time when the media industry was rapidly changing and new forms of financing and technology were emerging.

Mukherjee recalled debt collectors arriving at the family’s home and verbally abusing them while her children were still young.

She said she returned to acting out of necessity and used nearly all of her earnings to repay the loan. She and her husband cleared the debt after working for about three to four years.

Mukherjee also said she wanted to finance her daughter’s education overseas. Her daughter later studied in Australia and New Zealand, adding to the family’s financial responsibilities.

Despite her discomfort with some of the projects she accepted, Mukherjee said she does not regret prioritizing her children and helping them become financially independent.

“I taught them well, they are on their feet,” she said. “Because of that, I had to make all these choices. I had to do bad work too.”

Mukherjee said the experience taught her that people should understand why they are pursuing money, whether for security, creative fulfillment, family responsibilities or a more expensive lifestyle.

Now in a more stable position, she said she is selective about the roles she accepts and chooses projects that feel meaningful to her.

“We are actors. We don’t always have a choice,” she said. “Sometimes we have to work to run the house.”

Mukherjee has worked in Hindi films, television and theater for more than four decades. Her credits include “King Uncle,” “Khalnayak,” “Dillagi,” “Kyaa Kool Hai Hum” and “Golmaal Returns.” (Source: IANS)