From being Amitabh Bachchan’s heroine to doing item songs for Rs 2500, Aruna Irani opens up on her journey: ‘I did it with courage’
Veteran actress Aruna Irani recently looked back on one of the most challenging periods of her career, recalling how she went from starring in blockbuster films to struggling without work for three years. The actress spoke candidly about resilience, self-belief, and the determination that helped her rebuild her career, as she appeared on the reality show, ‘Tum Ho Naa , Ghar Ki Superstar’. Reflecting on the success she enjoyed early in her career, Aruna recalled, “Jab maine ek ‘Bombay to Goa’ film ki, ‘Caravan’ film ki, dono pictures superhit thi. Super Cinema mein jubilee aur Dreamland mein jubilee.” (When I did Bombay to Goa and Caravan, both movies were blockbusters and ran for years in Super Cinema and Dreamland theatres.)” Despite the success of those films, Aruna revealed that she suddenly found herself without any work for three years. When an opportunity finally came her way, she chose to embrace it rather than dwell on her past achievements.“Aur phir achanak se 3 saal tak mere paas koi kaam nahin tha. Aur jab maine kaam shuru kiya, toh kya shuru kiya… ek lavani Marathi picture mein ki. Aur maine yeh himmat se kiya, ‘nahin, mujhe jaana hai, mujhe dekhana hai ki main zinda hoon. Bas studio aise toh jaa ke baith nahin sakti ki bhai, main hoon, aap mujhe lo.’ Toh ek bahaana mil gaya, Bhagwan ne mujhe de diya woh Marathi picture, Dada Kondke ki ‘Aandhla Marto Dola’. Toh mujhe apne din yaad aa gaye ki maine bhi uss waqt socha hota ki yeh kaam toh pata nahi kaise karoongi… Main kahan heroine aayi Amitabh ji ke saath aur aaj main lavani kar rahi hoon 2500 rupaye mein. Par maine kaha apne aap se, nahin, jaana hai. Aur wahi jaana mera itna phala ki wahan log mujhe mile.”(And then suddenly, for three years, I had no work at all. And when I finally started working again, what kind of work did I start with? I performed a lavani in a Marathi film. And I did it with courage. I told myself, ‘No, I have to go. I have to show people that I am still alive. I can’t just sit in a studio and say, “I’m here, please cast me.”’ So God gave me an opportunity through Dada Kondke’s Marathi film Aandhla Marto Dola. That reminded me of my own journey. At that time, I could have thought, ‘How will I ever do this kind of work? I was once a heroine opposite Amitabh ji, and today I am doing a lavani for Rs 2,500.’ But I told myself, ‘No, I have to go.’ And that decision turned out to be so fruitful because there I met people who would change my career.)The actress went on to explain how accepting that opportunity became a turning point in her professional life.“There I met Raj Kohli ji, and from there, work started coming my way again.” Host Rajeev Khandelwal highlighted the lesson behind Aruna’s story, noting how perseverance and humility played a key role in her comeback.“Dekhiye, 2 superhit filmon ke baad bhi inhe kaam nahin mila. Uske bavajood bhi inhone himmat nahin haari. Aur uske baad, jaise ki yeh hum sabhi ke liye ek sabak hai ki koi kaam kabhi chhota nahin hota. (Look, even after delivering two superhit films, she did not get work. Despite that, she never lost courage. And after that, as we can all learn from her journey, no work is ever too small.)”Paying tribute to Aruna Irani’s decades-long contribution to the entertainment industry, Rajeev further said, “Hum Aruna ji ko hamesha yaad karte rahege. Na jaane kitne saalon tak, chahe aandhi aaye, chahe toofaan aaye, chahe achhe din the ya bure din the ya challenging din the, lekin 70-71 saalon se yeh wahin khadi hain. Inki pehchaan ek abhinetri toh hai hi, lekin I think bahut se logon ke liye yeh ek misaal hongi, just to explain ki haar na maano. Haarna nahin hai. Zindagi mein sab ek hi baar khatam hona hai, bas haarna nahin hai.”(We will always remember Aruna ji. For so many years now, whether there were storms, challenges, good times or bad times, she has stood firm through it all for the last 70–71 years. She is known as a great actress, of course, but I think for many people she is also an inspiration, proving that one should never give up. You must not surrender. Everything in life comes to an end one day, but the important thing is never to lose hope and never to give up.)Aruna Irani’s story serves as a reminder that success is rarely a straight path. Even after reaching the top, setbacks can come unexpectedly—but resilience, courage, and the willingness to start again can often lead to an even stronger comeback.
