Amrita Rao may have shot to fame overnight with Ishq Vishk, but the journey wasn’t all glamour. She recalls the harsh reality of Bollywood politics and how it even impacted her first magazine cover. Back in 2003, Ishq Vishk launched Amrita Rao and Shahid Kapoor into the limelight. While the film’s success brought awards like “Face of the Year” and “Superstar of Tomorrow,” Amrita soon discovered that stardom came with its own set of challenges.
“I remember when Ishq Vishk released, Shahid and I had won the Face of the Year, the Superstar of Tomorrow, or some award like that. There was a photoshoot that was planned for the cover of that magazine. I was seated with the award. Shahid was standing behind me with the award. There were two superstar
actresses who were seated on either side. There was another very, very famous actor and actress, again very, very famous. That was the layout of the cover,” Amrita said during The Ranveer Show.
Excitement quickly turned to disappointment when the final magazine cover arrived. “We were so happy and thrilled! I was like, ‘My first cover is going to be here!’ When I saw the cover, it was all photoshopped! I was moved to the background, and somebody else was in the foreground. That wasn’t what the cover was supposed to look like at all! Things like these have happened. And there must be many more that I wouldn’t even be aware of,” she said.
Amrita reflected on learning to cope with industry politics. “I used to feel really bad earlier. I’d ask why it’s happening to me. But now, I can say politics is everywhere — in schools, colleges, and even in your society meetings! So, you just have to program yourself to deal with politics. The world out there is always trying to pull you down.” She also recalled being criticised for her physique, “They never said it like it’s a compliment. Isn’t it a compliment?” she rued.
Despite the setbacks, Amrita went on to star in blockbusters like Main Hoon Na, Vivah, and Jolly LLB. She reprised her role in Jolly LLB 3 this year, married RJ Anmol in 2016, and welcomed her son Veer in 2020. Alongside her husband, she co-authored the book Couple of Things and runs a YouTube channel of the same name.
