'Was replaced because I was opinionated'

Mumbai: Actor Mallika Sherawat says she lost out on a number of projects as male actors could not stomach her opinionated nature and replaced her with their girlfriends.

The actor, who got a breakthrough with Murder almost 15 years ago, said when she looks back at all those people, they look like fools.

"I lost film projects because they thought I was opinionated. I would hear from heroes 'don't cast her she speaks a lot and has a lot of opinions.' They would prefer their girlfriends instead of me in projects. I can list at least 20-30 movies that I've lost. But it didn't make me bitter. It was my gradual evolution. Now when I look back, they look like fools, all of them," said Mallika.

The 42-year-old actor said when she started to speak about social issues, including the mindset of people towards women, no one took her seriously.

"When I spoke about women's issues, there were people in Bollywood and the media who thought I wasn't a patriot and weren't ready to listen. I know actresses who attacked me. But I love my country and hence this regressive mindset we have against women needs to change," she said.

Mallika says today with the arrival of digital platforms, things are looking up for all those actors who could not do much in the "traditional, formulaic Bollywood" set up. "Actors are seeing a freedom which wasn't there before. Now is the golden period where you get meaty parts and express yourself freely."