February 20, 2025: Bollywood actress Kirti Kulhari, known for her powerful performances, recently opened up about the harsh reality of star hierarchy in the industry. Reflecting on her breakout role in the 2016 critically acclaimed film Pink, Kirti revealed how the film’s promotional strategy left her feeling sidelined and deeply disillusioned.
While Pink revolved around three women and their battle for justice, Kirti stated that the film’s promotional campaign heavily focused on Taapsee Pannu, alongside Amitabh Bachchan. In a candid chat with Fever FM, she described her experience as an eye-opener about the way Bollywood operates.
Kirti Kulhari: The Shock of ‘Pink’ Promotions
Kirti Kulhari recalled how she initially believed the film to be an equal story of three women. However, reality hit her hard when the trailer was released. “I saw the trailer was mainly filled with Taapsee and Mr. Bachchan. That was the first jhatka (shock) for me because I knew what I had done in the film,” she said.
Despite reassurances from director Shoojit Sircar, Kirti soon realized that the PR machinery was strategically positioning Taapsee as the face of the film. “Eventually, it became her film, and she became the ‘Pink’ girl,” she admitted, acknowledging that this industry game left her feeling excluded.
Did It Affect Kirti Kulhari’s Bond with Taapsee Pannu?
Addressing whether this situation strained her relationship with Taapsee, Kirti confessed, “I think from her side, she didn’t notice this. She has always been nice to me, but that whole PR game—I took it a little personally.”
Her revelations highlight an unspoken truth about Bollywood’s promotional politics, where positioning often dictates an actor’s career trajectory. While Kirti’s performance was widely praised, she felt boxed into a “supporting actress” category, something she strongly rejected. “I was nominated for a few supporting actress awards, but I never went for those because I never saw myself as a supporting actor here. My PR game was zero. It shook me,” she admitted.
Lessons from ‘Pink’: Learning the Bollywood Game
Kirti Kulhari’s experience with Pink led her to be more assertive about her positioning in future projects. She applied these lessons when signing Mission Mangal and Four More Shots Please! “I was very clear when I took up Mission Mangal. I told them, apart from Vidya [Balan], if I am not given equal positioning as the other girls, I won’t do it. I learned the positioning game on the job.”
The actress also reflected on how the industry conditions people to treat others based on their “status.” Overwhelmed with emotion, she said, “The whole hierarchy thing that happens—we have unconsciously become conditioned to treat people based on their status and what they can do for us.”
The Broader Conversation: Bollywood’s PR Machinery & Star Hierarchy
Kirti Kulhari’s candid revelations bring to light the challenges many actors face when navigating Bollywood’s PR-driven ecosystem. Her experience with Pink serves as a stark reminder of how marketing and promotions can shape an actor’s career, sometimes overshadowing their talent and hard work.
As the industry continues to evolve, conversations like these shed light on the need for a more equitable and transparent system—one where talent gets its due recognition, regardless of PR powerplays.