Why Neelam Kothari was 'scared' of featuring on 'Fabulous Lives...'
Actor Samir Soni recently opened up about how his wife, actor Neelam Kothari, was initially skeptical about her return to the entertainment industry. Kothari made her comeback with Netflix's reality show Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives. Speaking to GPlus, Soni revealed that Kothari was apprehensive because she had been away from the camera for so long, since her last film Hum Saath Saath Hain in 1999.
'She was very concerned...what will people say'
Recalling Kothari's initial hesitation, Soni said, "When she told me that Dharmatics (Entertainment), Karan (Johar), and all had approached these four girls for the show, so I told her...she was humming and hawing." "She was very scared." "She was very concerned that if she makes a comeback now, what will people say. Because, obviously, you age in 20 years and your last image is that...so (she felt) people will say she's not the same."
Despite doubts, Soni encouraged Kothari's return
Despite Kothari's concerns, Soni pushed her to go ahead with the show. He reassured her saying, "People's memory is very short. It's a reality show; they'll rip you, be assured. Their job is that." "People watching are looking for entertainment." He also confessed to having initially underestimated the show's potential success because he wasn't interested in reality TV.
Kothari's popularity soared post-show
Soni jokingly observed how the public's attention shifted toward Kothari after the show's release. He remembered how fans would frequently request her to click their pictures with him before the show premiered. But that changed drastically after just the show's first season. "After that people started asking me 'How is ma'am?' After the second season, it was even bigger because it became one of the top 10 international shows for Netflix." The third season premiered recently.
