South star Khushboo Sundar returned to Hindi cinema after 22 years with director Anil Sharma’s Vanvaas (2024). It won’t be too long before we see her again as she is doing another Bollywood film. Keen to continue building a diverse filmography, the actor mentions that she rejects more movies than she accepts, across languages. Sometimes, it’s the reverse as well. “There are times when I am rejected. It’s a part of the process,” says the senior actor, who has had a 45-year career spanning Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam films.

If things had gone as per her wishes, Sundar would have featured as Ranveer Singh’s mother in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani (2015). But she recalls that her audition didn’t make the cut, and Tanvi Azmi bagged the role. “My girls keep cursing me for [losing out on] it,” she laughs, before adding, “It was a brilliant role. But they said I didn’t fit it. Tanvi was outstanding in it and won the National Award as well. When the casting director makes a choice, s/he is clear about it. I remember they had said that I didn’t look negative, and old enough to play Ranveer’s mother.”

Besides being a politician, Sundar has been among the leading stars in the Tamil film industry. While many may believe that stars and auditions don’t go hand-in-hand, she harbours no such misguided notions. “I don’t look at myself as a star. My daughter has turned producer, and I’m starring in her maiden production. She won’t cast me if she thinks I don’t fit the role. You can’t say, ‘I won’t audition because I’m a star’. Even Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts audition for parts. So, why not us?”