Veteran actress Anita Kanwal has dropped some jaw-dropping revelations about the dark side of showbiz that her daughter, actress Pooja Kanwal, had to face. In a recent candid chat, Anita got real about the inappropriate propositions that left Pooja emotionally shattered — and how she went full-on momma bear mode to shield her baby girl.
From threatening to break legs to leaving her own flourishing career on hold for nearly three years, Anita’s story is equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring. Let’s dive into the details that have the industry buzzing.
Pooja’s Shocking Encounters with ‘Compromise’ Demands
Anita revealed that while Pooja was working in the South Indian film industry, she started receiving calls from certain individuals who suggested “compromises” in exchange for work opportunities. And the veteran actress did not hold back when recounting how she handled them.
“There were people who would talk about compromises and what they could offer in return. I would tell them, ‘I will come to Hyderabad and break your legs if you ever speak like that again,’” Anita said on a podcast. According to her, the calls stopped after that — but the damage was already done.
Pooja, who made her debut with Rajshri Productions’ Uuf Kya Jaadoo Mohabbat Hai in 2004, was left deeply shaken by these experiences. “Pooja was shaken by all of this. It was fortunate that her future husband came into her life at the right time. Otherwise, I think she might have completely broken down emotionally,” Anita revealed.
It’s a stark reminder that despite all the glitz and glamour, the entertainment world still has its ugly underbelly — and stars often have to fight battles behind the scenes that fans never see.
Anita Put Her Own Career on Hold for Two-and-a-Half Years
Anita didn’t just talk tough — she walked the walk. At the peak of her own acting career, she made the decision to put everything on pause to support Pooja’s dreams. “I didn’t work for nearly two-and-a-half years. I would travel with her wherever she went for shoots. If she had a shoot in the South, I would go there. If she was shooting in Bangkok, I would accompany her there too. I was struggling alongside her,” she shared.
Why such extreme measures? Because Pooja was just 17 years old when she started out. “I left work for two-and-a-half years at the peak of my career because my daughter was only 17 years old. I couldn’t send her alone. As a mother, I felt it was my responsibility to be there for her,” Anita explained.
And it wasn’t just physical presence — Anita also went to bat for her daughter against industry predators. She recalled confronting people who made inappropriate advances: “While she was working in the South, there were people who would call and say all sorts of inappropriate things. Whenever I received such calls, I would give them a piece of my mind. They never called back after that.”
Anita admitted that she struggled more for Pooja than she ever did for herself because she knew how badly her daughter wanted to be an actress. “She had everything going for her. She was a great dancer, she was good-looking, and she was a capable actress. That’s why I fought so hard for her,” she said.
Looking Back, Anita is Grateful Things Didn’t Work Out
Despite all the struggles and sacrifice, Pooja’s acting career never quite took off as expected. After Rajshri’s film, she appeared in projects like Jawani Zindabad and Blue Oranges, but the big break never came. Eventually, she moved away from acting to focus on hosting and anchoring.
But Anita sees that as a blessing in disguise. “Today, I am very happy that she did not follow in my footsteps. She is in a much better place in her life now,” she said. The mother-daughter duo went through a painful phase when expectations didn’t match reality — especially after the Rajshri film raised hopes sky-high. “We had thought she would start with television serials. But when she got a Rajshri film, our hopes naturally increased. We felt that things would finally fall into place and something good would happen. When that didn’t happen, coming down from that level of expectation was extremely painful,” Anita recalled.
Now, Pooja is settled with her husband and has moved on from the trauma that once shook her. Anita’s story is a powerful reminder that sometimes the biggest success is finding peace — and that a mother’s love can move mountains, or at least break a few legs in Hyderabad.