‘My thoughts are very different’: When Esha Deol responded to Ameesha Patel’s ‘star kids snatching roles’ remark

Esha Deol, daughter of Bollywood icons Dharmendra and Hema Malini, made her debut in 2002 with Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe. Recently, an old interview featuring Ameesha Patel resurfaced in which Ameesha claimed that star kids dominated most opportunities in the early 2000s. In 2024, Esha responded, offering a completely different view of what the industry felt like when she made her debut.

What Ameesha Patel said

Ameesha had earlier expressed that when she entered the film industry, most newcomers came from established film families. She said she found herself surrounded by third-generation actors.


In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, she remarked, “When I entered the film industry, I only had film actors' kids or producers' kids enter with me. It was Kareena Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Tushar Kapoor, Esha Deol, Fardeen Khan — you name it, you’d turn your head and it was a film-family, third-generation person coming in.”

What Esha Deol said

Responding to Ameesha’s claims, Esha Deol offered her own perspective. Speaking to India Today, she said her experience did not match Ameesha’s impression of the industry.

Esha explained that everyone during that period was focused on their own work and projects. She said, “My thoughts are very different. I think we were all very busy with our own lot of what we were given. I've had some wonderful friendships with the girls back then, and I think no one snatched anyone's role to my knowledge.”

Esha on friendships and industry warmth

Esha emphasised that her early years in Bollywood were filled with warmth, camaraderie and meaningful friendships. She recalled, “Everyone was very friendly — all the girls, even the men — very friendly, very warm, it was really nice. I think we were all doing so much work and had so much to do. It’s not that any one of us was sitting without work.”

Esha Deol’s personal life

Recently, Esha suffered a personal loss when her father, legendary actor Dharmendra, passed away at the age of 89 at his Juhu residence.

Get an chance to win ₹5000 Amazon Voucher by taking part in India's Biggest Habit Index! Take the survey here