Actor Mahima Chaudhary, who is known for her wonderful performance in Subhash Ghai’s ‘Pardes’, was also considered one of the promising newcomers of her time. However, she went on taking a sabbatical from the industry to focus on her personal life.

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Talking about how the industry has evolved and what she feels has changed ever since, she said, “I think the industry is getting to a position where female actors are also calling the shots. They get better parts, better pay, endorsements, they’re at a great and much powerful position. They have a longer shelf life than before.

“Now, people are accepting women in different kinds of roles, even romantic ones post her becoming a mother or wife. Her personal life is celebrated.”

She further spoke of how it mattered what your relationship or marital status was when she joined the industry.

“The minute one started dating someone, people would write them off because they only wanted a virgin who had not kissed. If you were dating someone, it was like, ‘Oh! She’s dating!’. If you were married, then forget it, your career was over, and if you had a child, it was absolutely over.”

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During the 1990s, Mahima did a few modelling assignments and appeared in several television commercials before venturing into films. She made her acting debut in the 1997 film Pardes, for which she won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. She established a career with several roles in films including Daag (1999), Dhadkan (2000), Kurukshetra (2000), Dil Hai Tumhaara (2002), and received critical recognition for her performances in Dil Kya Kare (1999) and Lajja (2001).