Bijay Anand reveals Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha was why he quit the industry

As Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha completes 25 years since its release, actor Bijay Anand, who played role of Rahul Bajaj in the film, reveals the reason he took a step back from films 17 years ago was the film itself! However, he clarifies that he “doesn’t hold a grudge against anyone now and has moved on” from the sour experience.

“When I saw the film, they (the makers) dubbed my voice with some other voice which sounded very weak and quiet. It was very embarrassing as my voice is not like that. When I heard that, I was so hurt that this is how this industry works. I felt like I didn’t want to be a part of this industry, after which I quit the acting industry for 17 years,” Anand says.

Even before quitting, the actor says that he never felt like he was a part of the industry. “I didn’t have any nepotism background. I was an outsider and on the right track, but dubbing my voice just so that the hero (Ajay Devgn) looks better than I do or whatever the reason they had, left me shocked,” shares the 66-year-old.

Anand confesses he doesn’t even watch his own film as feels embarrassed about the whole dubbing episode. “ have seen Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha only once in my life. Even when it came on TV, my family used to say, ‘Oh, look’, but I just used to shut it off’. Every time I heard my voice, I was embarrassed,” he reveals.

Ask him if he expressed his issue to the filmmakers or his co-stars, and Anand responds, “I am revealing this for the first time. They dubbed a weak and squeaky voice without even asking me. It made my character look like an idiot, and I was shattered. I was genuinely shocked and I don’t know even if I’ll ever recover from that shock. I even turned down very big roles at that time”.

Away from the archlights, he turned into a yoga teacher. He returned to the industry in 2015 with show Siya Ke Ram to play the role of Janak. “When you are a yoga teacher and you are offered Siya Ke Ram, you don’t say no. I could see the potential in it of reaching a wide range of people, which is actually what happened. So, I came back to acting because I couldn’t say no to this role,” he says.

In fact, Anand returned with a new perspective and doesn’t care about the industry or its politics anymore. “I have changed. I don’t depend on how the industry is looking anymore. I just love acting. For me, acting is not a profession, it is a passion for me. I am a successful yoga teacher and I don’t need the industry anymore. I am doing the projects that I want to do, that would make me happy. But I would like to mention that I have no regrets doing that film and I had a lot of fun,” Anand ends.