For 37-year-old actress Mahie Gill, Dev D was the most successful film in her career. She even earned the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress for her role in the film.
And now eight years later, Mahie Gill talks about how she battled depression after her career post the blockbuster took a downturn. In an exclusive interaction with Mumbai Mirror, she said: "I used to be chatty, and friendly. I got lots of film offers, even Anurag signed me for Gulaal, but I was cheated of all my money by my best friend. I was broke and battled depression for a year-and-a-half during which I stopped meeting people and signing films."
Talking about her short role in Dabangg as Arbaaz Khan's wife, Mahie told Mirror: "The film was a blockbuster but it back-fired for me. Directors who were offering me lead roles told me that I'd made a mistake by agreeing to play a tiny part in a big film. One of them even dropped me because I was no longer heroine material after Dabangg. This happened when I was just getting back on my feet. Since the damage was done, I agreed. They've not approached me for Part 3 yet."
Mahie Gill who has been an integral part of Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster franchise, will be seen in the third part of the film as well. She says: "My character is more crazy, seductive and manipulative this time and apart from a thumkawala dance track with Sanjay Dutt, I've also shot a lovemaking sequence in the freezing outdoor with Jimmy Shergill."
In the first part of the film, Mahie played 'Biwi' to Jimmy Shergill's 'Saheb' in 2011 and in the part two (2013), she played a politician.
After playing a bold character in Dev D, Mahie says: "Today, I have matured as an actor. I understand it's the writing that makes a woman powerful, in control of her body on screen or feel dirty. Skin show doesn't bother me anymore."
Moving on to her personal life, Mahie talks about her 'mystery boyfriend'. Talking to Mirror, she says: "I'd love to name him but he wants to stay out of the limelight. My boyfriend owns hotels and casinos across Goa as well as globally. I was with him when he opened a venture in Georgia recently. Sometimes, it feels like we're in a long-distance relationship as he travels a lot. But whenever he's in Goa, I move there as both of us own properties there."
Will she get married anytime soon? "Not this year," she says.
