Sushmita Sen is a special breed. She is one of those very few actresses whose life was never defined by each Friday. If you take a look at her career in Bollywood, her flops outnumber the hits and yet there’s just something about her that makes everyone love her till date. Her warmth is what legends are made of and she definitely is a force to reckon with in the industry.
It’s the gorgeous woman’s 40th birthday today and she exudes incomparable grace each time we see her. She’s played many roles in her life – a Beauty Queen, leading lady, mother, entrepreneur and many more. And as I list out the most amazing quotes by Sush, we can’t forget even for a second that she continues to be the most beautiful woman in the Universe!
1. On being famous…
I knew from the age of 14 that I was going to be famous. And the reason I knew that was because my mum and my dad were watching Rakesh Sharma go to space on TV and howling on the couch. I came down from the stairs and asked my baba “what happened? who is he?” and my father was so choked up, he just said “he’s famous!” And I knew then that by being famous I could make you cry and affect lives without even knowing you.
2. On her infectious smile…
My father named me Sushmita – which means a beautiful smile. So I guess I’m stuck with it!
3. On meeting her fans…
I meet a lot of people during the day. Some of them I may never meet again. I might have had a very bad day emotionally, physically, socially or otherwise, but I make it a point that their last memory of me to be one that they don’t have to take the burden of remembering ‘Oh! Maybe she had a bad day!’ They need to remember me the way they envisioned me. That’s a hard task at times.
4. On objectification of women…
“She” we celebrate, “she” we do not objectify!
5. On the rat race…
I like winning, it’s an old habit. But I don’t like rat races.
6. On her movie choices…
I do a Main Hoon Na and they’re like “Great! She’s arrived!” and then I do a Chingari which they hate! But as an actor I’ve experimented and I’m not ashamed of anything I’ve done.
7. On adoption…
With the number of children in orphanages, it is imperative that laws of that country support adoption.
8. On her parents…
I’ve the best parents in the world. I know every child feels that, but mine really are. They’ve raised me and my brother to have our own minds, take our own decisions and be responsible for the decisions.
9. On motherhood…
The good thing is that I’ve never made any “sacrifices” for my children. Because when you put sacrifice as an element, you tend to let the child feel the pressure of “I did this for you”.
10. On being someone’s wife…
I love my father. He once told someone “Please look at my daughter. Do you think I’ve raised her in a way that her only identity is to be someone’s wife?”
11. On sacrificing…
I don’t like the word “sacrifice” or “compromise”. Anyone who is too into this sacrificing concept has very low self esteem because they want to be martyrs at the drop of the hat. No! Stand up for yourself!
12. On plastic surgery…
I am no judge of your nose. But if you choose to get it “fixed,” it’s your call and I will celebrate your call. Do I want to fix my nose even though I’ve always been told I have a pakoda nose? No yaa… I’m happy cutting it with makeup if I have to. I don’t need to get it done through plastic surgery. But if I choose to do it tomorrow, I’d do so with great aplomb because I want to.
13. On who the boss is…
If you have passion, you’re the boss. If you have logic but you don’t have passion, you’re still the boss. However, if you don’t have passion or logic, then I’m the boss!
14. On beauty…
Beauty is very individualistic. Beauty is what makes you happy. Beauty to me is God’s handwriting. It’s who you are – your character, your determination. Your sex appeal lies in who you are as a package. I don’t want to look at you and go ‘wow’ and then be totally put off when you open your mouth.
15. On satisfaction…
I am a very content person, but I’m never satisfied. And that drives me.
16. On success…
I don’t know what “enough” is but as long as I do everything I choose to do with everything I got, that to me is being successful.
17. On trouble…
I like trouble, don’t you?
18. On being an average girl…
What made me win Miss Universe was my belief as an average girl, that I could try and be better than average that one day.
19. On knowing what she wants…
I as a woman have my needs and requirements out of people and things. I know what I want and I know how to get it. The world would be a better place if the woman decides what she wants for herself.
20. On being intimidating…
I’m told I intimidate men. But that’s never my intention.
21. On what you need to make relationship work…
The moment there’s miscommunication, any relationship goes for a toss. There are things that are misunderstood because they aren’t said properly. To make it work, you have to be very vocal about your feelings.
22. On her diva status…
The definition of a “diva” is not very clear to me. A woman who I totally love and admire, and who is also called a diva is Madonna. Now if you want to go by that definition, then thank you very much! And if you have some other hidden agenda, then I’d like to know what they are and then I’d let you know if I’m comfortable with it.
23. On being called a “pretty face”…
I don’t mind being called a pretty face at all. I don’t mind the truth.
24. On why she won Miss Universe…
I think I deserved to win because that night I was my best. I wasn’t trying to be better than anyone else, I was being my best.
25. On being a woman…
Being a woman is God’s gift that all of us must appreciate.
26. On relationships…
‘Relationship’ is actually a very good word. I’ve had plenty. Enough to help me grow. Sometimes you outgrow relationships and people, and something people outgrow you. It’s a natural process. I know people who celebrated 25 years of togetherness and it went for a toss the next day. Nothing comes with a guarantee. I think relationships are there for you to grow with. They last at times, sometimes they don’t.
27. On dating…
I’m older than I was when I was 16 when dating was fun. There’s a lot more that I need from a man and it’s not easy to get it. Everyone should take their time.
28. On the institution of marriage…
I don’t think the institution of marriage is dead. I think the whole concept of marriage has changed. Earlier the concept was that woman leaves her home, comes with her man, sacrifices, blah blah blah… and if she didn’t, it was “not good.” Today the concept of marriage is more equal. It’s a concept that’s hard for the more orthodox people to understand.
29. On what fidelity means…
Fidelity is something people need to have their own meaning out of. People often think that the physical aspect of a relationship is what fidelity is all about. I choose to disagree. I think if a man wakes up next to me every morning thinking “I have to be here!” – that’s not good enough for me. He should want to be there. So if he has a woman on his mind while I am beside him, that doesn’t necessarily make him faithful.
30. On the men she’s dated…
I’ve just been very lucky I think. I’ve met some incredible men in my life.
31. On believing…
Things happen to people who believe. If you believe something long enough, it becomes a fact.
32. On what her favourite part of her own body is…
My heart! Most definitely!