Sonali Kulkarni Recalls Being Told 'Dark Girls Look Bad On Camera' During Audition: 'I Was 16, Was So Disturbed'

Sonali Kulkarni is currently gearing up for the release of her web show Oops! Ab Kya?, which is set to premiere on JioHotstar on February 20, 2025. Recently, the actress recalled facing criticism for being a 'dark' girl during her first film's audition, which left her completely 'disturbed' and 'embarrassed.'

The 50-year-old actress told OTTplay that she was a 'struggler from Pune' who wore the only Punjabi suit she had, a gift from her brother, for the audition. She recalled that 25 other girls were present at the audition, but she was happy because she would be meeting filmmaker Girish Karnad.

She said, "As soon as I entered, there were my friends, but there were a couple of elder people. One of the aunties, who is a well-known person in the city, happened to say, 'Why are you here?' I didn't get the sarcasm in her question. I started answering her that the girls of my age group were encouraged to attend the workshop."

The actress added, "She (the aunty) looked at me and she said, "Don't you know that dark girls look really bad on camera?" I was very vulnerable. I was all of 16 and I felt so embarrassed. I felt as if why did I come here? I shouldn't have been here."

Sonali shared that despite the humiliation she faced, she continued to work and because she likes helping people , she decided to serve tea and will give water to everyone. "I was so disturbed. Then, I saw Girish uncle coming down," she shared.

She shared that Girish had interacted with everyone including her. Recalling her conversation about how he tried to distract her mind from the humiliation, Sonali said, "He asked my name and what I was doing those days. And I told him that I was in 12th standard and said I was also doing a play. He asked, 'Which play?' The way he started the conversation, it made me forget about the humiliation I had faced a few minutes before."

Meanwhile, Sonali's Oops! Ab Kya? is an official adaption of the American show Jane The Virgin, starring Gina Rodriguez and Justin Baldoni.