Mallika Sherawat reveals her father disowned her for wanting to be an actress: "Ye parivaar ka naam kharab karegi"

Mallika Sherawat has opened up about her troubled relationship with her parents and revealed that she was driven to change her name after her father threatened to disown her if she became an actress. The Murder actress changed her name from Reema Lamba to Mallika Sherawat before she entered the film industry.

The actress had run away from home to enter Bollywood and live her dream. Revealing how her altercation with her father led her to change her name the actress told Bollywood Bubble, “It was my rebellion against patriarchy because my father said, ‘Ye filmo mein jayegi, parivaar ka naam kharab karegi, main tereko disown karta hoon (She will enter the film industry, she will ruin the family name, I disown you).’ Maine kaha, 'Main tumhara naam hi disown karti hoon. Tum kya mujhe disown karoge (I told him that I disown your name). Yes, you're my dad, I respect you, I love you, main apni maa ka naam use karungi (But I'll use my mother's name).' So I used Sherawat, it's my mother's name.”

While it has been several years since she broke ties with her parents when asked how her relationship is with them now she said, “It still not the best I would say, but with age everyone softens.”

Mallika has been a well-known face in Bollywood with films like Murder, Welcome, Thank You, Double Dhamaal, Pyaar Ke Side Effects among several others. She debuted with a  small role in the movie Jeena Sirf Mere Liye and made her debut as a lead in 2003 with Khwahish opposite Zayyed Khan. However, it was Murder with Emraan Khan that made her popular in the film industry.

The actress is now more focused on her career in OTT and will be seen in the MX Player web series Nakaab next.