veteran actor Aruna Irani has opened up about her past relationship with late actor and comedian Mehmood.which began at a time when he was already married. In a recent interaction, Aruna Irani spoke about how the relationship took shape, how it finally ended and also spoke about the exploitation she faced while working in the Hindi film industry in her early years.
In a Zoom conversation, The actress spoke about her initial struggles and challenges. “There were difficulties at every turn. Even going out to look for work was a challenge. In those days, especially in the film industry, people were ready to exploit you, you just had to be prepared for it,” he said.
She revealed that she adopted a strategy to avoid being exploited. “I used to pretend that I was very innocent, like I didn’t understand anything. The person in front of me couldn’t understand if I was stupid or what,” she recalled.
Aruna explained how she politely declined social invitations. “If someone invited me out for coffee, I would say I don’t drink coffee. Tea? I don’t drink that either. Cold drinks? I would say they give me coughs and colds. They would remain confused about what to do with me, and I would finish my work in silence and leave.”
This approach often costs him repeat work, he admitted. “They didn’t call me again, but someone else came. I kept working like that, pretending, and I managed to get ahead without being exploited.”
Aruna Irani on her relationship with Mehmood
Aruna Irani also spoke in detail about Mehmood and credited him for giving her her first real break in films. “Mehmood ji gave me a job for the first time. That relationship was formed under a sense of obligation, and that’s how it happened,” he said.
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However, as their career paths diverged, the dynamics of their relationship changed. “Later, Mehmood ji moved on to other projects and I participated in different shows. That’s when I started feeling like he was openly exploiting me.”
Aruna clarified that she does not put all the blame on him. “I did what I did out of obligation and necessity, so I won’t accuse him alone. I also supported him. In the end, the relationship ended,” she said.
Addressing the long-standing speculations about the marriage, Aruna Irani said that Mehmood had given her hope of marrying her. “He said he would marry me, but he didn’t. In retrospect, it was good for me. He was already married twice and could have married a third time too, but I think my fate was kind. What happened was wrong,” she admitted.
Furthermore, he revealed that the rumors about his marriage seriously affected his career. “I used to tell people that he had married me. Because of this, filmmakers stopped offering me work. They feared that if I got pregnant, their film would stall. It was a big setback for me,” Aruna said.
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According to her, things started to improve only after that chapter was closed. “When the story ended and I started working independently, people realized there was nothing between us.”
‘I crossed my limits to please him’
In an earlier conversation with Lehr Retro, Aruna Irani revealed that Mehmood had refused to marry her, even though she wanted to settle down with him. He also claimed that his family opposed his association and that he eventually stopped working with her.
Aruna also said, “I crossed my limits to please him. I come from a very poor family and that was the first time I saw name, fame and money.”
Aruna Irani is married to filmmaker and writer Kuku Kohli.