Milind Soman recently opened up about the challenges he has faced in his career, revealing how his looks have sometimes worked against him rather than in his favour. In an exclusive conversation with mid-day, the actor recalled being rejected from a major international project and spoke candidly about how perceptions around his appearance often shape the roles offered to him.
Milind Soman talks about getting rejected by Mira Nair
Soman shared that one of the most memorable rejections in his career came early on when he was considered for Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love by acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair. “One thing that comes to my mind immediately is Mira Nair’s film Kamasutra. Many, many years ago,” he said.
According to Soman, the filmmaker had initially approached him for a significant role in the film. “She came to me to play the king in the film, which was eventually played by Naveen Andrews. And finally she said, ‘You don’t have that much experience as an actor. I really like the way you look, but I think I won’t cast you in this.’”
The actor admitted he was surprised by the decision at the time. “I was shocked, what am I supposed to do, you are the director, direct me. But yes, this does happen often.”
Reflecting on the incident, Soman explained that perceptions about his appearance have often influenced the kind of characters people imagine him playing. “Sometimes people feel that my looks kind of restrict me. Like the role I want to play is a farmer. But people look at me and say, ‘Oh, how will you look like a farmer?’”
He believes such assumptions limit creative possibilities in casting. “I can look like a farmer. I mean, what does a farmer look like? It’s the way you are, the character you create. But a lot of people are restricted by that perception that they have seen me walking on the ramp or on the cover of magazines and they can’t look beyond that.”
On facing stereotypes in getting meatier roles
Because of this image, the actor said he is frequently offered royal or authoritative characters. “I get a lot of people coming to me saying, ‘Play the king, play the king.’ And I say, ‘No, I don’t want to play the king. Show me something else.’” However, he admitted he once accepted such a role because it offered an interesting twist. “I did in Royals, I was the king. And I played that because he was dead already. And also he was gay. So it was interesting to explore that.”
Soman also recalled another moment when he deliberately chose a more unconventional character instead of a regal one in Paurashpur. “They came to me and said, ‘Play the king.’ And I said no. Then when they read the script to me, I saw another character and I asked, ‘Who is this guy?’ They said it’s the eunuch. I said, ‘I’ll play the eunuch.’”
He remembered the producers being surprised by his choice. “They said, ‘But we want you to play the king and you’re saying you’ll play the eunuch?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I think that’s much more interesting for me to play.’ And I had a great time playing that character.”
For Soman, choosing roles is about curiosity and exploration rather than conventional appeal. “If somebody offers me a role and I like the production or the story, I say, ‘Okay, but give me this. Can I do this character?’ Sometimes they agree, sometimes they don’t. And that’s fine.”
He added that in today’s entertainment landscape, where fame can be short-lived, he prefers to focus on roles that challenge him creatively rather than simply reinforcing a familiar image.