When Mahima Chaudhry opened up about alleged bullying by Subhash Ghai and industry blacklisting: 'He even took me to the court and...'

Mahima Chaudhry, one of the most celebrated actresses of the 90s, won hearts with her debut in Pardes (1997), directed by Subhash Ghai. Her portrayal of the innocent village girl ‘Ganga’ made her an overnight sensation.

Throughout the 90s, Mahima delivered memorable performances in films like Dhadkan, Sandwich, Daag, and Khiladi 420, sharing the screen with stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn. However, in an old interview, the actress revealed a darker side of her journey, disclosing that she was bullied by Subhash Ghai and even taken to court by him.

Before making her Bollywood debut, Mahima Chaudhry worked as a VJ on music channels, where she caught the attention of director Subhash Ghai, who later cast her as the lead in Pardes. In a past interview as reported by Bollywood Shaadis, Mahima opened up about the challenges she faced, alleging that Subhash Ghai bullied her and even took her to court. She further claimed that the filmmaker tried to sabotage her career by sending messages to producers, urging them not to work with her.

She said, "It was quite stressful. He sent a message to all the producers that nobody should work with me! If you pick up one of the issues of Trade Guide magazine in 1998 or 1999, there was an ad that he had given which stated that if anybody wanted to work with me, that person would have to contact him. Otherwise, it would be a breach of contract. However, there was no such contract which said that I had to seek his permission.”

Mahima Chaudhry revealed that she was initially cast opposite Manoj Bajpayee in the 1998 film Satya, but was later replaced by Urmila Matondkar without any prior intimation. She shared that she only learned about her replacement through the media, despite having already accepted the signing amount. The actress expressed disappointment, as Satya was supposed to be her second film. "He didn’t even have the decency to call me or my manager and inform me about the reality. I learnt from the press that he had begun shooting without me," she continued.

For those unaware, Mahima Chaudhry was originally named Ritu Chaudhry but changed it due to Subhash Ghai’s superstition. The director believed that actresses whose names started with the letter 'M' had successful careers, prompting her to adopt the name Mahima Chaudhry.

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In 2006, Mahima Chaudhry tied the knot with businessman Bobby Mukherji and welcomed their daughter, Ariana, in 2007. However, due to incompatibility, the couple parted ways in 2013.

On the professional front, Mahima was last seen in the 2024 Zee5 web series The Signature, where she shared the screen with Anupam Kher.