Actress Bhanupriya and her sister Shantipriya were popular faces in 90s. While former focused on the South films, Shantipriya had worked in Hindi films alongside stars like Akshay Kumar, Mithun Chakraborty, Sunny Deol among others. Despite giving hits, her stint in Bollywood was short-lived. While, last few days, netizens and celebrities have welcomed the change of drop of ‘Fair’ from fairness brand – Fair & Lovely. Echoing the same, actress Shantipriya recalled an incident when her co-star Akshay Kumar ridiculed her for her dark skin colour which left an indelible effect on her. She also added that her sister Bhanupriya also left Bollywood as colour discrimination existed.
Shantipriya’s statement
In an interview, she said, I worked with Akshay in Ikke Pe Ikka. It was a modern character and I had to wear a short dress. I used to wear stockings with dresses. I remember how Akshay used to make fun of me. We were shooting for the climax scene and because I wore a pair of stockings, my knees were looking darker. Apart from Akshay, Pankaj Dheer, Chandani, Prithvi, Raj Sippy, spot boy, makeup man and other people were also present on the set. There were around 100 people. In front of all of them, Akshay said ‘Shantipriya has got big blood clots on her legs’. He repeated the same many times but I couldn’t understand it. I asked him about the blood clots on my legs and he said ‘look at your knees’. I was taken aback when I heard him. I was shocked and embarrassed. I didn’t know how to react and kept thinking about others. It was very uncomfortable and I kept thinking how could Akshay make such a joke in front of so many people.”
Akshay is a changed person now
Shantipriya went on to add that she shares a great rapport with Akshay. When she spoke about her comeback to the actor, he had enocuraged her, adding he will be there for her. Letting bygones be bygones, she said, “Akshay is a good friend today. I don’t want to hurt him by narrating this incident. We were all growing up and trying to become mature individuals then. I told Akshay a few years back that I wanted to make a comeback in the industry and he was very helpful. He gave me a lot of confidence and told me that he was there for me. We met at the Mehboob Studio. Akshay has changed a lot with time. He’s a responsible husband, father, actor and a citizen today. He is working a lot for our soldiers. I am proud of him and happy to see his success,
