It is almost 12 years for actor Zareen Khan in the Hindi film industry. However, the actor has no qualms about accepting that she is still replaceable. “Actors are insecure,” she admits, “They are dispensable and replaceable. And nobody really cares. I’ve always been content in my own space. So, I have never been in any race. But I do think I am quite replaceable, right now. Unless you are an A-lister, people won’t wait for you.”

Looking back at her journey, Khan realises that people may have mistaken her coy nature for arrogance. “My dad had left us, (so) it was me who had to take the responsibility, to take care of my family, financially. I did not have anybody helping or guiding me. I was intimidated and many took it as arrogance. There have been times when I felt lost in the industry. I wanted to do good work, but I wasn’t allowed to show my acting talent and what I could bring to the table. There were preconceived notions about me, as I was just a pretty face,” Khan says.

The actor started her career in 2010 alongside actor Salman Khan with the film, Veer. Since then, conjectures have been rife that Salman helped her in her career.

She says, “A lot of people still have that assumption. I’m thankful to Salman. He gave me an entrance to the industry. But my struggle started after I became a part of the industry, because back then, I knew nothing.”

She adds that Salman is a friend, but her struggles are her own. “Salman is an amazing person, but he is also a busy man. I cannot be a monkey on his back and bother him for little things. A lot of people to date think that all the work I do is through him and that’s not true. Salman is a friend and just a phone call away, but I’m not pestering him. And that undermines the struggle, the hard work that I’ve done,” the actor ends.