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Riya Sen Felt Terrible Being Labeled ‘Sexy’ When She Was Only 16
Actor Riya Sen got her big break in the entertainment industry when she starred in Falguni Pathak's music video for 'Yaad Piya Ki Aane Lagi'. She was only 16 at the time, and she went on to do films such as Style, Jhankaar Beats, and Qayamat: City Under Threat.
She opened up about how, being an actress at the time meant being sexy. Being in school at the time and being labeled 'sexy' made her feel horrible. She shared how people assumed that that's how she is in real life, and this made her stop working in Bollywood.
Riya Wasn't Comfortable In The Roles She Was Playing
PTI quoted Riya as saying, "I realised some of the films I did, after a few hits that I had, they weren't working for me because I wasn't comfortable in the roles I was playing. That's why probably people thought I was a bad actress and I don't blame them. At that point when I did a lot of Bollywood movies, it was about being sexy, the clothes that you wear, the makeup that you do. I didn't fit into that."
People Perceived Her Differently In Real Life
She continued, "Getting those tags, it was just terrible, horrible. Living with that... I was in school when the tag of ‘sexy' started coming way. There was so much pressure to always look perfect, a certain way. Even when I went out, people had this perception that Oh Riya Sen because they feel what you're on screen, you're the same in real life."
She Couldn't Believe That Was Her On Screen
Riya hails from a family of artists, with her grandmother being Suchitra Sen, her mother being Moon Moon Sen and sister being Raima Sen. She further said, "Everyone wants to be glamorous, no doubt, but I was so young when I came here. I was doing all these roles, wearing a mini skirt, running around and acting ‘cute'. When I'd watch myself on screen I'd be like ‘eeks, I can't believe that's me.'
When She Decided To Quit Bollywood
Explaining why she quit Bollywood and went on to act in Bengali films, she said, "I found myself very uneasy, very uncomfortable. It wasn't me. I couldn't go on set everyday, get my hair curled for hours and sit with all that make-up. It just didn't do it for me. I took a conscious decision to stop working in Bollywood movies at that time."
Riya said that she has now found her place within the entertainment industry, exploring the roles she likes and the digital space.
