Genelia D'Souza recalls being discouraged from making comeback to films after 10 years: ‘I was told it won’t work'

Genelia D'Souza returned to acting in the Marathi film Ved, which became the second-highest-grossing Marathi film.

Actor Genelia D'Souza made her grand comeback to acting with her Marathi debut film, Ved, alongside her husband, Riteish Deshmukh. It became the second-highest-grossing Marathi film after Sairat. The actor, who recently participated in a panel discussion on women empowerment at Elle Impact, revealed how she was discouraged from making a comeback after a 10-year sabbatical. (Also Read: Genelia Deshmukh, 35, wants to play roles that suit her age: 'Could be a single mother, married mother...')

Genelia Deshmukh recalls she was discouraged from making a comeback. (Instagram)

Genelia Deshmukh says people discouraged her from making a comeback

Genelia said that she does not give much importance to success or failure and added, "It's a part of our life. I feel we hype our success too much and stress a bit too much on failure, whereas the impact and intent of your daily life are what truly matter. Being an actor who has worked in six languages, and someone who took a break because I was having babies, I remember people telling me, ‘Oh, you want to come back to films after 10 years? It won’t work,’ but my comeback film became a cult hit. We shouldn't listen to people."

She further said, "During those ten years, I was focusing on myself and my kids, and I remember Riteish telling me that we have to make our kids capable. As someone who was used to easy protein and a non-vegetarian diet, I struggled with it. That's where Imagine was born. It is for every flexitarian—someone who consumes meat five days a week but opts for sustainable options twice a week. Even when it comes to vegetarian foods, we have very few options for protein intake. This led Riteish and me to create a sustainable option."

For the unversed, Imagine Meats is a plant-based meat initiative by Genelia and Riteish Deshmukh to “create a world which makes healthier and conscious eating choices.”

Genelia Deshmukh’s upcoming movie

Genelia will next be seen opposite Aamir Khan in the film Sitaare Zameen Par. The film is based on the Spanish movie Champions and serves as a spiritual sequel to Taare Zameen Par.

Speaking about the film, Aamir told The Hollywood Reporter India, "Well, it’s a beautiful story. Actually, the easiest way I can describe it is that Taare Zameen Par is a very emotional film that makes you cry, whereas Sitaare Zameen Par will make you laugh—it’s a humorous film. The theme is similar, revolving around people with different abilities, different intelligence, or different challenges. But this time, it’s humour as opposed to emotions."