Ayesha Jhulka recalls getting roles that expected her ‘to stand like prop’: I’m not a big name, I am also not a nobody

Ayesha Jhulka opened up about the kind of roles she wanted to do versus the ones that were being offered to her. She is seen in Prime Video's new series Hush Hush.

Ayesha Jhulka has said that she was away from films and shows for a long time because of the kind of roles that were being offered to her. She said they were mostly repetitive of what she had already done, or needed her to ‘stand like a prop’. Ayesha has made her comeback with Tanuja Chandra's Prime Video series Hush Hush. Earlier, she was seen in the 2018 film Genius. ()

Ayesha Jhulka poses for pictures during a promotion of her Hindi web series Hush Hush in Mumbai. (AFP)

Directed by Tanuja, Hush Hush premiered on Prime Video on Friday, and also features Juhi Chawla, Shahana Goswami, Karishma Tanna, Soha Ali Khan and Kritika Kamra. It is a suspense drama about the lives of four friends - powerful lobbyist Ishi Sangamitra (Juhi), ex-investigative journalist Saiba Tyagi (Soha), fashion designer Zaira Shaikh (Shahana) and Dolly Dalal (Kritika Kamra), who is caught in a family drama.

Talking about the long time she took to comeback onscreen, Ayesha told Indian Express in an interview, "I was either getting the roles that I’ve already done, or I’d get big projects with big directors and big producers with a big star cast where I have nothing to do. It was very difficult to say no as people around me would get excited thinking how it is such a big production, etc. People tried to convince me by saying, ‘it is ok, do it, what now you’re looking for Filmfare award or what?!’ I’ve heard all these things, then I’d say ok, but the next morning I’d say no because something inside me was just not convinced."

Ahead of Hush Hush release, Ayesha had told PTI, “Personally, I am very sad that 10 years ago they didn't know what to do with me or someone in their 40s because we have seen women as heroines or the mother of the hero.”