Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; October 31, 2019)

Television actress Aishwarya Sakhuja will be seen in the Sunny Singh-starrer Ujda Chaman, which deals with the issue of premature balding among men. And what better subject to make her Bollywood debut with than this film, for someone who has spent a quarter of her life battling multiple health woes and being labelled as an unconventional beauty.

Talking about the film, she says, “If we can make Chaman look cool despite the baldness and other shortcomings, we have driven the point home. The message that we want to impart is that beauty is skin deep and it should not be limited to outward appearance.”

The actress agrees that celebs undergo a lot of scrutiny for the way they look. However, she has come a long way from being called a ‘giraffe’ or someone with a buck-tooth smile. She says, “I don’t intend to demean anyone, but in a quest to look perfect, I feel that everybody has started looking like a clone of the other. People are getting a lip job and other jobs done, which in turn make them look very plastic. It’s sad that we are expected to look a certain way and in the bargain, we are losing out on our individuality. That’s when films exploring such subjects become important in bringing about the much-needed change. There is more to life than just looks.”

It is evident that the actress is averse to cosmetic enhancements and going under the knife. “I have missing teeth and a buck-tooth smile, but I am happy and comfortable with the way I look. My brother is a dentist and he has been suggesting that I could align my teeth, but I don't care. Why would I change something I am confident about? People would also joke about my height, but it never bothered me,” she says.

Aishwarya has also battled a lot of health woes. She shares, “I always joke with my dad that unhone defective bachcha paida kiya hai. I was born with a hole in my heart. I developed a serious problem in my eyes when I turned one. I have suffered from tuberculosis, battled problems in my lymph nodes and even suffered facial paralysis. In the past two years, I became diabetic type one, which usually happens among kids. I still deal with health issues, but my woes have put a lot of things into perspective when it comes to life. I have started to love and respect my body a lot more. My health and happiness are paramount now, unlike earlier, when work was my priority. ”

The actress has been missing in action since two years, after her last show Trideviyaan wrapped up. Though the idea was to take up a challenging offer, the decision to stay away wasn’t a conscious one. She explains, “TV entails a lot of hard work, both on the physical and emotional fronts, where an actor also misses out on important moments in life. So, if I have to work that hard, I should be happy doing what I am doing. Though some good characters came my way, they somehow didn't materialise.”

Before she started acting on the small screen, Aishwarya had tried her luck in the South film industry. However, a few unsavoury experiences soon made her return. She recalls, “I decided to try my luck in South films. On many occasions, I was asked to expose my navel, as they said it’s crucial for the success of the film. Back then, I was too naive and young to understand how the industry functioned. Sometimes, they would give me nice clothes, but on other occasions, the clothes would be too short for my liking — knotted blouses and skimpy knickers. That’s when I decided that no matter how many calls I get from that industry, I am not going back there. My agenda was never to become a star, but be happy with the work I was doing,” she says.