Twenty-five years after ‘Gadar’ first released, Ameesha Patel has come to terms with the fact that fans will forever see her as Sakina. The actress recently opened up about how being part of a landmark film can shape an actor’s entire career, with audiences finding it hard to separate them from their most iconic roles. At 51, Ameesha reflected on the lasting legacy of ‘Gadar’ and why it is nearly impossible to avoid comparisons with a film that has left such a deep mark on Indian cinema.
Ameesha Patel says iconic films define their stars forever
In an interview with India Today, Ameesha said, “Films like Gadar come once in a lifetime. Take Mughal-e-Azam – it continues to define the legacy of its stars. Even today, when you think of Dilip Kumar or Madhubala, you think of Mughal-e-Azam. Nargis is synonymous with Mother India. Dharamji is remembered first for Sholay, and Shah Rukh Khan for Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. That’s the kind of impact an iconic film has.”
Ameesha Patel on the flip side of delivering a blockbuster
Ameesha believes that only a lucky few in the industry get to be part of a film that truly becomes a cultural phenomenon. “There are certain films which not every actor gets. So, we are lucky to have gotten it in our lives, that we have an iconic film to our credit. And for Sunny and me, not once but twice. I’ve reached those heights even with Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai,” she said. At the same time, she pointed out the flip side of delivering such a massive hit — that every project that follows gets measured against that one towering benchmark. “What happens is that people put the benchmark of expectations so high that even when you give hits like Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Humraaz, Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd., or you come with Salman in Yeh Hai Jalwa, you give numerous successes, but there’s constantly that comparison because audiences want that again,” she explained.
Ameesha Patel says it took ‘Gadar 2’ to break ‘Gadar’s’ record
She was clear that holding every film to the standard of a once-in-a-generation blockbuster is simply not fair. “Now, not every film can be a colossal, iconic, blockbuster, path-breaking film. I mean, it took Gadar 2 to break Gadar’s record. So that’s what we’re talking about. How do you expect any other film to do it? It will be difficult,” she said. She also pointed out that audiences tend to hold on to certain characters and moments from iconic films long after they have left the theatres, drawing parallels with some of Bollywood’s biggest stars. “Even today, for Shah Rukh, when you get him on stage, you still want him to do his iconic pose with his arms spread wide. You still love him as Raj. You still love Kajol as Simran. You still love Madhuri as the ‘Dhak Dhak’ girl. Till today, she’s known as the Dhak Dhak girl everywhere,” she said.The actress added, “You still think of Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! and those iconic moments from the film. So you do have these things with your stars, with your actors that you love. You place them in a certain space in your mind, and you keep wanting to see them that way.”
Ameesha Patel says Tom Cruise will always be ‘Top Gun’ for her
Ameesha took her argument beyond Bollywood, pointing to Hollywood to show that this phenomenon is universal. “For me, Tom Cruise is always Top Gun. For me, Julia Roberts is always Pretty Woman, no matter what great work she’s done before or after,” she said.
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