Sonali Kulkarni is done keeping it polite. In a candid conversation, the actress has finally opened up about one of Bollywood's most notable award-season heartbreaks — losing the National Award for Best Actress to Tabu in 1997.
The two were pitted against each other for the coveted honour, with Tabu's performance in Maachis taking home the prize. Sonali was not celebrating her fellow actress's win.
"I was so angry and jealous," Kulkarni admits. The confession shows how emotionally taxing award season can be for actors who have invested themselves in their work.
"I was jealous of everyone winning," she reveals, suggesting that the 1997 loss was part of a larger struggle with watching her peers succeed.
Nearly three decades later, Sonali's honesty is rare in an industry where actors typically mask disappointment with gracious congratulations and "it was an honour just to be nominated" statements. Her willingness to acknowledge anger, jealousy, and resentment speaks to her growth.
The admission highlights how the National Awards carry immense weight for actors. A loss is not just a miss; it is a public validation of another artist's work over yours, in front of the entire nation.
Tabu's 1997 win established her as one of Bollywood's finest actors, while Sonali's career followed its own path. What this candid revelation means for how she processes that old wound remains unclear, but audiences are responding to her honesty.
