Kirti Kulhari, who rose to fame with her role in the 2016 film ‘Pink’, recently opened up about feeling sidelined during the film’s promotions and described the experience as deeply underwhelming. Kirti revealed that the promotional focus leaned heavily towards Taapsee Pannu and Amitabh Bachchan, which made her feel left out.
In a recent conversation with Fever FM, Kirti shared how this experience not only affected her but also strained her relationship with Taapsee.
Kirti mentioned that she initially viewed the film as an equal story of three girls and never considered industry hierarchies. However, the promotional phase made her feel the impact of the “big star-small star” dynamic, as those around her emphasised the status differences. She believes that all actors are equal, but the experience with Pink made her feel somewhat uncomfortable.
The actress recalled how the disparity became apparent when the film’s trailer was released. She noticed that the spotlight was primarily on Taapsee and Amitabh. “That was the first jhatka for me because I know what I have done in the film. Shoojit was like, ‘Don’t worry about it, let the film come out.’ I never do PR. I believe my work will eventually be seen,” Kirti shared.
However, the promotional strategies heavily favoured Taapsee, positioning her right after Amitabh Bachchan in the film’s hierarchy. Eventually, it became Taapsee’s film, and she became the ‘Pink’ girl. Kirti recalled all of this happening right in front of her, and it was the first major shock for her.
Although Kirti later received nominations in the supporting actress categories, she consciously skipped the award events, feeling that her contribution wasn’t secondary. She called her PR game “zero” and admitted that the entire experience shook her.
When asked if this situation affected her bond with Taapsee, Kirti said it did impact their equation, though she doesn’t believe Taapsee was aware of it. She remarked that Taapsee had always been kind to her, but she personally took things to heart.
The incident became a turning point for Kirti, prompting her to be more assertive about her positioning in future projects. When she took on Mission Mangal, she told the makers that she would not do it unless she was given equal positioning with the other girls in the film, apart from Vidya Balan.
While discussing industry hierarchies, Kirti grew emotional, highlighting how people are unconsciously conditioned to treat others based on their status, leading to shifts in behaviour depending on someone’s position or influence.
