Parmeet Sethi unmasks Bollywood's harsh realities

Veteran actor and director Parmeet Sethi has candidly spoken about the brutal realities of Bollywood, admitting that he was once dismissed from a film after being chosen as the primary villain.

“I won’t lie. There was one or two films where, after being cast as the main villain, I was told ‘thank you very much’ and replaced—because the hero said I would overpower him. Maybe I was taller, or something like that,” the 58-year-old Parmeet Sethi recalled while talking on an exclusive podcast of Pinkvilla.

However, Parmeet Sethi revealed, without naming names, that he faced rejection not due to lack of skills but due to others’ egos.

“Such insecurities exist, and that’s okay. I don’t blame anyone. Everyone is just trying to protect their own career,” the filmmaker further added.

Sethi, famed for his performance in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, acknowledged that being selective about projects came with a price.

“I didn’t do films where I didn’t like the role, so I did fewer films—and when you do fewer films, you go out of sight, out of mind,” the director explained.

Although his career in cinema did not go as planned, television remained his last hope.

“The kind of full-fledged film career I should have had didn’t happen. Then I went back to TV and rebuilt myself,” he claimed, stating that he later realised the medium’s true value.

Continuing, “TV can offer what films cannot. No work is big or small.”

Reflecting on his career, Sethi disclosed a lifelong lesson: “Life teaches you lessons. The sooner you learn, the faster you move forward. Don’t take life too seriously—enjoy the ride.”

However, Sethi, who has acted in Badmaash Company and Rustom, balances his work across film and television.