Long before the headlines and controversies, Mrunal Thakur found inspiration in an unexpected place – in Imtiaz Ali’s cult romantic drama Jab We Met. The film and Kareena Kapoor’s hilarious portrayal of Geet left a lasting impression on her, shaping not only her outlook on life but also the choices she made early in her career.
Lessons from GEET
In a 2023 interview with ETimes, Mrunal shared the life lessons she learned from watching Imtiaz Ali’s Jab We Met and how Kareena Kapoor’s character Geet inspired her. She recalled that she was motivated by Geet’s solo train journey from Mumbai to Bhatinda, which prompted her to travel alone from Lokmanya Tilak in Mumbai to Kerala, where her parents lived—a 24-hour journey that she described as safe and enriching, offering the opportunity to meet many people. She also highlighted how the film emphasized self-love and personal responsibility, teaching her to prioritize herself, make her own decisions, and not blame others for the outcomes. Mrunal said these lessons are profound and have a lasting impact on her.
Rejecting projects early in your career
Meanwhile, the actress has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons for not-so-right reasons recently. An old video interview of the actress has been doing the rounds on social media, where she revealed that early in her career, she chose to turn down several major projects, believing she wasn’t ready. She felt that the films she was doing at the time could have been controversial. Although the projects later became hits and propelled the careers of female directors, Mrunal felt that accepting them now may have made her lose her sense of self. She also stated that regardless of what others are doing, her own consistent efforts are her personal achievement. She stressed that she doesn’t go for instant fame or recognition, believing that success achieved too often often doesn’t last.
Netizens react
Netizens speculated that her comments were aimed at Anushka Sharma, referring to Salman Khan’s revelation on Bigg Boss that Mrunal was initially considered for the lead in Sultan before Anushka joined. The remarks received mixed reactions, with some criticizing her for her subtle digs, while others defended her right to express her opinion.
