Aamir Khan’s co-star reveals her family never had enough money to pay taxes: ‘My mother sold chutneys to run the house…’

Remember the pretty woman who played Hrithik Roshan’s foster mother in Mission Kashmir, Saif Ali Khan’s girlfriend in the iconic Dil Chahta Hai? Sonali Kulkarni was somewhat of a staple in many late 90s and early 2000s hits such as DCH, Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya, and the 2011 Ajay Devgn blockbuster Singham. However, her path to success was far from conventional. In a recent chat with The Indian Express, the actress said her mother sold chutneys and prepared tiffins for kids to support the family.

She also explained that her family never had enough money to pay taxes. “I come from such a simple family that we never had so much money that we paid taxes. My mother sold chutneys and made tiffin to run the house. We had a day care centre at home. I was her chief assistant,” she said.

In an earlier interview with the Times of India, Sonali said that her parents were quite humble and knew next to nothing about her profession or how the film industry operated. She acknowledged that having to build your own fortune without any guidance can keep you grounded and modest but had its own drawbacks and said that youngsters should know how to save money and manage a business, as that could save them a lot of woes.


“My family is pretty humble. Even today, they have no clue about the film industry as such, or about the challenges that we face. They feel that I should work with immense concentration and dedication, that is their only expectation from me till date. I think such expectations keep you grounded, but I feel every young person, especially 17-18 year-olds should be encouraged and given a certain amount of direction. They should know about saving money, about working with big directors and about managing a business. I feel quite proud of myself at times. I actually started from scratch and I feel pretty rich to be where I am today.” she said.

Kulkarni is regarded as one of the most successful and well-compensated actresses in Marathi films, earning multiple honors such as a National Film Award, four Maharashtra State Film Awards, and four Filmfare Marathi Awards. In 2010, the Government of Maharashtra awarded her the V. Shantaram Special Contribution Award.