Indian Idol 13: Aashiqui’s Anu Aggarwal Says Makers ‘Cut me Out of Frame, Deleted My Scenes’ | Exclusive

The entire Aashiqui team was present in an episode of Indian Idol 13 but it seemed like Anu Aggarwal was totally snubbed and only Deepak Tijori, Rahul Roy, and Kumar Sanu were given the footage. When we spoke to the OG Aashiqui girl about this, she had a lot to say.

As part of its weekly format, the singing reality show, Indian Idol 13 based a whole episode on the 1990 musical hit film – Aashiqui. While everything seemed perfect from the performances of the contestants to the interesting anecdotes shared about the film, something caught our attention. The iconic team of Aashiqui was present there but only Rahul Roy, Kumar Sanu, and Deepak Tijori were given the footage. Actor Anu Aggarwal, who played the lead in the film seemed absent even though she was sitting right next to Rahul and Deepak on a couch. So, when we reached out to Anu to discuss what we observed as a viewer on a relaxed weekend, she had a lot to say. Excerpts from the same:

VK: Why were you not really active on the show in terms of talking to the contestants or even coming on the stage during their performances like your fellow actors from the film?

AA: I really want to encourage these contestants, especially girls contestants. The young girls need to be motivated. One girl can make a lot of difference in her own life. In 1986 I started out alone. I was just 19 years old and everybody warned me that no girl lives on her own and with all the trouble I have been with. I am a child actor. I am a theatre actor, the way girls were treated back then didn’t encourage me at all to be in the industry. I think everything that happened really nobody can understand.

As far as being active on the show goes I was sitting right next to Rahul Roy and they cut me out of the frame. Thankfully, I am a Sanyasi. I don’t have an ego at all. It does sadden me. I have been given inspirational talks around the world. I am a Ted Talk speaker and run Anu Aggarwal Foundation (AAF) too and got Atma Nirbhar Bharat Award too. I met the young talented singers and I spoke enough but not a word was shown in the telecast. I speak fluent Hindi. I am not interested in why? I let it go. I don’t want to get into the defensive at all right…and I don’t want to get into blaming Sony, the editor, or anybody at all.

I have dedicated myself to working for people including girls. I am also a girl and the other thing is that I also feel and I’m also self-made and I’m a self-healed girl as well. For me, it is very important to work to act to motivate the girls so that they can reach any heights and I was saying all this to all the girls on the show. Each and every contestant I encouraged and shared personal stories of what happened on the sets.

I am saddened honestly that what I spoke was so motivational that it couldn’t be conveyed. I don’t care about myself but the words I said. We get inspired by people, we all are heroes. I listen and meet so many ladies and I get inspired. I am saddened that the iconic character of Aashiqui – Anu Aggarwal, all the youth, the girls can be, you know, motivated. So that has not happened? Because they deleted it. And I don’t even remember today if you ask me to talk again. I couldn’t avoid speaking the truth.

I don’t want to get into the defensive zone. And I don’t want to get into blaming the channel, the editor, or anybody at all.

VK: How well do you gel with Rahul Roy or Deepak Tijori, who were present there on the show with you?

AA: In my heart, I have love for all, so I gel with everybody. Girls grow faster than boys as far as my life is concerned. I had already achieved a lot more than others. In 1987, I was already mentioned as a Supermodel by top international magazines. I was already an achiever, I was the only model who used to get interviewed by magazines even before Aashiqui. We made history together so the bond stays really special.

VK: How was the whole experience like being there, reliving the work that goes down in the history of Bollywood?

AA: I walked in on stage and people were clapping. It was complete gratitude and I was thinking of God. Kumar Sanu started clapping and everybody got up and clapped. This all was deleted.

So let’s make this tragedy into a joyful thing. And how can we do that? By giving the facts, by giving the truth, by giving the right knowledge and information, and by making people understand where I was really coming from and I think a lot of people still don’t understand. It’s okay, I’ve been away for too long also. So I cannot blame anybody for it. Experience-wise, it was awesome. We created history together. I am so utterly grateful. And I have no words to express it.

VK: Were there any instructions given to you or to the team of Aashiqui to behave in a certain manner or about interacting with the contestants or commenting on their performances?

AA: The instructions were being given and just before each contestant came up and gave instructions and I had a spontaneous conversation.

VK: Lastly, are you working on any projects in the film or OTT industry? Is there anything you want to say to your fans?

AA: It’s a revolutionary time in a certain sense and I’m so glad to be here at this point. I was a supermodel becoming an even bigger actor was rare, and that’s what I got with the superhit Aashiqui. I try to bring that caring through my foundation, writing books, speaking, etc. I have recently opened up to acting to bring you more joy.

Acting is a karmic skill I was born with. Yes! It is such an exciting time in the entertainment biz with all the different mediums opening up and I’m perhaps a lot more to come. The whole face of the industry is in a revamp. For me was never easy. Supermodels were not welcome in Bollywood then so In a sense I was breaking the mold. I was too tall, too dusty, too forthright, too humorous, too supermodel in fashion, too independent, too blunt, too…I was not in any way your quintessential heroine material. Regardless my acting skills worked and I ended up as an iconic figure, a barging self-made success story.