Zareen Khan says Bollywood judged her after Hate Story 3, claims Aksar 2 was misrepresented to her

Actor Zareen Khan has revisited the controversy surrounding her 2017 film Aksar 2, saying she felt misled about the project and later faced criticism within the film industry after appearing in the erotic thriller Hate Story 3.

Speaking during a conversation with Pooja Bhatt on the Mammoth Media Asia podcast, Khan reflected on the judgement she says she experienced following the success of Hate Story 3.

People looked down on me after Hate Story

Khan made her Bollywood debut opposite Salman Khan in the 2010 film Veer and later appeared in commercially successful films such as Housefull 2 and Hate Story 3. Early in her career, she was often compared to Katrina Kaif due to their similar appearance.

However, the actor said that the bold scenes in Hate Story 3 led some people within the industry to question her abilities.

After I did Hate Story, a lot of people looked down on me—especially from the industry. They would say, ‘Because she cannot act, she decided to strip,’ Khan said.

According to her, the perception created after the film shaped how she was treated professionally in subsequent projects.

Claims she was misled about Aksar 2

Following the success of Hate Story 3, Khan was approached to star in Aksar 2, the sequel to the 2006 thriller Aksar, which originally featured Emraan Hashmi, Dino Morea and Udita Goswami.

The sequel was directed by Anant Mahadevan. Khan said she initially agreed to the project after being told it would be a stylish noir thriller rather than another film centered on bold scenes.

He narrated the script in very polished English and said, ‘We are not making a Hate Story. We are making a genre noir,’ she recalled.

But once filming began, she claimed the content differed significantly from what had been described during the narration.

Once I reached the set, every other scene ended with a kiss or suddenly required me to be in a bra or something similar.

Khan clarified that she was not opposed to performing intimate scenes but felt the project had been presented differently before she signed on.

I told him, ‘I don’t have a problem doing such scenes, but you gave me a completely different brief. Now, just because you saw that film work, you want to add these things.’

Tensions during the shoot

The actor said disagreements intensified during filming, with multiple parties involved in the production clashing over creative and logistical issues.

There was so much animosity. The producers suddenly wanted me to do a bra scene, kiss, or something provocative in almost every sequence just because I had done one such film earlier. That’s not fair.

Despite the conflicts, Khan said she chose to complete the project because she did not want the producers to suffer financial losses.

I am not someone who throws tantrums. I know people’s money is at stake, so I always try to talk things out and find a middle ground.

However, she said the situation deteriorated by the time the film wrapped.

By the time the film was finished, things had become so bad that I wasn’t even invited to the screening of my own film.

Khan also claimed that media coverage at the time portrayed her as difficult to work with.

There were articles saying I was difficult to work with. I still have messages from the director where he complains about the producers to me—but what’s done is done.

According to the actor, tensions also developed between Mahadevan and the film’s producers, reportedly involving disagreements over payments and creative direction.

Director Anant Mahadevan’s response

Director Anant Mahadevan previously rejected the allegations in an interview with DNA India.

He said the production was carefully planned and denied claims that scenes were added without clarity.

Nobody is more prepared than me in the industry. I rehearse like a play. Every shot was explained during rehearsals.

Mahadevan also defended the film’s romantic scenes, arguing that they were not unusual in mainstream cinema.

A few kisses do not make a film erotic. These days every other film has smooches—even a Karan Johar movie has them.

He further said that Khan had participated fully in the shoot and dubbing sessions and appeared satisfied with the film during its production.

She was quite thrilled with the results. If there was anything to this effect, it would have come out then, he said, adding that he did not believe her later comments “hold water.”

Later work

Khan’s later projects include the 2021 film Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele. In recent years, she has also moved into entrepreneurship with her skincare brand Happy Hippie.