“Sex symbol” is a tag the Hindi film industry has often given to actresses. Whether it was Zeenat Aman, who is hailed as the first sex symbol of the industry to multiple other heroines that followed her. One such actress who dealt with this tag was actress Esha Gupta. She admits that it was difficult for her to shed her image of a “sexy actress” as she opens up about her tryst with the industry's perception.

Esha started her career with Jannat in 2012 and did an array of movies which led to her getting the tag.

“It is difficult to shed that image. The problem is the conception people have about you. But what is a sexy girl? The sexy girl still goes home, has a family, and is a girl who's sitting at home watching a movie, cooking, and cleaning. But the perception is that she cannot be someone’s girlfriend or daughter. It is tough to break that image. It took me a while to accept it. There have been a few people in my life who said, that instead of shaking it off, accept it; because there are so many who are trying to be sexy, and then they could not,” Esha explains.

The Rustom actress recalls dating this one guy from the industry - “the only guy from the industry” she has ever dated - who added to her insecurities. “He made me so insecure. He always told me, ‘Oh, you want to be like this actress, right? Then don't wear such clothes’. Those clothes were a spaghetti top and jeans. He had a problem with that. ‘Don’t wear a bikini’, ‘Oh, if you want to do this, don't do this song’, ‘Don't do this work’. I said a lot of no's because of him. He put that constant pressure and insecurity in my head. If I want to be that girl next door and to get those kinds (girl next door) of roles, I should try and shed the (sexy) image that I have. But I realized I'm too bold. And boldness is a mindset. I'm really sure of myself now,” she reminisces.

Esha’s ex wasn’t the only one feeding her with insecurity. She confesses that the industry in general also makes you feel excluded. “The fact that you're made to feel that you need to enter a clan that damages you. You realize that, ‘I don't have any friends in the industry! What will I do? My life matters nothing’. It's taken me years to realize that my life is something. You are always made to feel like you are not invited to that one's party or you're not doing this? Of course, I never go because I have a routine. Some people I would go, because, I respect them a lot. But I'm not invited to most house parties, which I'm more than okay with. But for years I was like shit - 'I'm not invited to this party, I'm not invited to her thing, I didn't get a call for this'. There are also a lot of people who make you realize that you are excluded. Initially, you even had those PRs. I've been through PRs, who would tell you, ‘Listen, you have to go to this one’s party and I’ll get you the invite'. But guess what? Those people are not invited into my life. Not because I have anything against them, but only because I don't feel they are important in my life. I'm sure they feel the same way about me," she concludes.