Sneha Ullal Opens Up on Salman Khan Debut and Aishwarya Rai Comparisons

Actor Sneha Ullal has spoken about her Bollywood debut opposite Salman Khan in Lucky: No Time for Love, revealing that she entered the film industry during a difficult phase in her personal life while her mother was undergoing cancer treatment. The actress also addressed long-standing comparisons to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, saying they never affected her personally.

Speaking to AlphaNeon Studioz, Sneha recalled that acting was never part of her plans before she was approached for David Dhawan’s production. She said Arpita Khan’s friends spotted her shortly after she completed her 10th grade and had just started college.

“I had just completed my 10th grade and newly joined college when Arpita Khan’s friends spotted me,” Sneha said. “It was around the same time they were auditioning for Lucky’s character.”

Sneha revealed that she accepted the offer while her family was dealing with her mother’s illness.

“When I was approached for the movie, I was personally in a very bad place. My mom was undergoing treatment for cancer. The environment in our house was quite depressing,” she said.

She explained that taking up the film became a way to distract her family during that period.

“I took up Lucky to divert my family’s mind. My mom loved travelling, so I accepted the offer to do this. It changed a lot of things for me irrespective of whether or not I was interested in the art.”

Sneha was 16 when she signed the film, while Salman Khan was 38. Reflecting on the sudden fame that followed the film’s release, she admitted the experience came with sacrifices.

“It took away my freedom, my college life. I never got to live my teenage years or my 20s. I went from being 16 to an adult overnight. It was a compromise. I didn’t understand it then, but now I do,” she said, adding that “Salman Khan took good care of me.”

The actress also addressed comparisons to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, which became a major talking point after her debut. Many linked her resemblance to Salman Khan’s highly publicised breakup with the former Miss World following Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.

Sneha said she remained unaffected by the speculation. “When Aishwarya Rai became Miss World, people around me would say I looked a lot like her. Later, the PR game was such, and since I debuted opposite Salman Khan, people connected the dots in that angle. But it never bothered me. I was too young for all that.”

She also shared that her family initially had reservations about the film industry. “Some members of my family told me not to take up the film because the industry is indecent and scary,” she said.

Beyond acting, Sneha spoke about her involvement in animal activism and her decision to become vegetarian after witnessing animal cruelty. “I am very prominent in the animal activist community. I have rescued many animals and I hope to continue doing more,” she said.

After Lucky: No Time for Love, Sneha Ullal worked in Telugu, Kannada and Bengali cinema following a quieter phase in Hindi films. She said she is now attempting to return to Bollywood with more meaningful roles.

“I am working my way back to Bollywood — the correct way. I want to build relationships with good people in the industry. I have a vision of the kind of actress I want to become,” she said.

Sneha Ullal is also attached to projects including Sako 360, Scar, Third October, and an untitled Telugu film.