Sneha Ullal became an overnight sensation after starring opposite Salman Khan in Lucky: No Time for Love. Often remembered for her striking resemblance to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sneha recently opened up about her unexpected Bollywood debut, the sacrifices fame brought into her life, and how her mother’s cancer battle influenced her decision to enter films.Speaking to AlphaNeon Studioz, the actress revealed that acting was never part of her plans and that she had no connection to Bollywood before being discovered on the streets of Mumbai.
‘I had just completed my 10th grade’
Recalling how she landed her debut film, Sneha shared, “I had just completed my 10th grade and newly joined college when Arpita Khan’s friends spotted me. It was around the same time they were auditioning for Lucky’s character. I am assuming they told Salman Khan about me, and then they reached out to me.”At the time, Sneha was only 16 years old, while Salman Khan was 38. Despite the glamour surrounding the offer, the actress admitted she accepted the film for deeply personal reasons.
‘My mom was undergoing cancer treatment’
Sneha revealed that her family was going through an emotionally difficult phase when she was approached for the film.“When I was approached for the movie, I was personally in a very bad place. My mom was undergoing treatment for cancer. The environment in our house was quite depressing,” she said.She further added, “I took up Lucky to divert my family’s mind. My mom loved travelling, so I accepted the offer to do this. It changed a lot of things for me irrespective of whether or not I was interested in the art.”
‘The film took away my freedom’
Reflecting on her sudden fame, Sneha admitted that the experience came with several sacrifices.“I received a lot of love for the movie. It was a difficult journey. That film took a lot from me, but at the same time gave me a lot too,” she said.“It took away my freedom, my college life. I never got to live my teenage years or my 20s. I went from being 16 to an adult overnight. It was a compromise. I didn’t understand it then, but now I do.”However, she also acknowledged Salman Khan’s support during that phase, adding, “Salman Khan took good care of me.”
Compared to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Apart from the film, Sneha also became widely known for resembling Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Addressing the comparisons, the actress said they never affected her personally.“When Aishwarya Rai became Miss World, people around me would say I looked a lot like her. Later, the PR game was such, and since I debuted opposite Salman Khan, people connected the dots in that angle,” she explained.“But it never bothered me. I was too young for all that.”
‘I was never into glamour’
Sneha further revealed that she had received modelling and acting offers since childhood whenever she visited India from Oman, but her family remained hesitant about the entertainment industry.“I would receive many offers since childhood. Every time I visited India from Oman, people from various brands would approach me. But we were extremely scared of this industry,” she shared.“I am not very glamorous; I’m extremely tomboyish. People often ask where this actress disappeared after Lucky, but I was never sure about acting. I was very confused. I didn’t understand the technicalities and I was never into glamour.”She added that some family members had warned her against joining films because they considered the industry “indecent and scary.”
Sneha Ullal on animal activism and future plans
Beyond films, Sneha said she has found purpose in animal activism and hopes to continue contributing to the cause.“If I weren’t an actor, I would start a business related to animals and the planet. I am an animal activist,” she shared.“I am very prominent in the animal activist community. I have rescued many animals and I hope to continue doing more.”She also recalled the moment that changed her perspective towards food and led her to become vegetarian.“When I entered the industry, I was a non-vegetarian. But one incident changed my life. Someone was troubling a goat and when I asked them not to, they questioned my eating habits. After that, everything changed,” she said.After her Hindi films failed to recreate the success of Lucky: No Time for Love, Sneha shifted her focus to Telugu, Kannada, and Bengali cinema.Now 38, the actress says she hopes to return to Bollywood with meaningful roles that focus more on substance than glamour.“I am working my way back to Bollywood — the correct way. I want to build relationships with good people in the industry. I have a vision of the kind of actress I want to become,” she said.Sneha Ullal currently has projects like Sako 360, Scar, Third October, and a Telugu film in the pipeline.
