Maine Pyaar Kiya! was a classic romance of its time. This 1989 film was Sooraj Barjatya‘s directorial debut starring Salman Khan in his first leading role as Prem and it was the film that introduced us to Bhagyashree a.k.a Suman. Now, Prem and Suman went on to win many hearts post the release of the film, but did you know that Bhagyashree actually turned down the offer multiple times before she actually came on board?

In a conversation with Mumbai Mirror, the actress spoke about how Sooraj Barjatya met her several times to narrate the script, Though she liked the story, she had no plans of acting and denied his offer with a heavy heart each time. She says that she had dreams of studying abroad then. But, not being able to come up with an excuse the eighth time around, she finally gave her nod to do the film.

She states that if he had gone to the big names in the industry then like Madhuri Dixit or Sridevi and been rejected by them, then it would have been understandable. She was still a newbie and very much apprehensive about being in front of the camera. She jokes that she was always the one who was the tree in school plays because she was terrified of facing an audience. But Bhagyashree says that when she finally did agree to film, she fell in love with the profession.

Soon after Maine Pyaar Kiya, Bhagyashree married Himalaya Dassani in 1990. Speaking about him, she says that she married him after she became a sensation post Maine Pyaar Kiya! and says that her fans must have been cursing him throughout for “whisking her away from Bollywood”.

Now, she is all set to star in Prabhas’ PAN-Indian film Radhe Shyam and I sure can’t wait to see her in it!