Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; September 16, 2019)
A lot has happened in Ssmilly Suri’s life over the past three years. The Kalyug actress, who married choreographer Vineet Bangera in 2014, separated from him in 2016. And last month, their divorce came through. While it has been a tough phase, Ssmilly believes that the best is yet to come. She is in a happier space now, and wants to start afresh, both personally and professionally.
Recalling her troubled married life, she tells BT, “Vineet was my Salsa teacher, and it’s easy to fall in love with your mentor, especially in a dance form, which is all about proximity. We connected over our passion for dance and mistook it for love. We realised that our decision was wrong only after marriage and staying under the same roof — our backgrounds and approach towards life was different. I tried my best to make the marriage work, but in vain. My family, too, including my brother Mohit (Suri), cousin Emraan (Hashmi), his wife Parveen and my aunt Kumkum Saigal, tried their best to mediate, only to realise that the cracks were too deep. When every attempt failed, they gave me the strength to face those trying times. Vineet left me in December, 2016 and never came back. I guess he realised before me that our marriage wasn’t working.”
She adds, “After that day when he left me, I met him directly on the day I acquired the divorce decree. We didn’t speak to each other, but I wish him well. I hope that we bury our differences some day and dance together again. I want to be friends with him now.”
The divorce hasn’t left Ssmilly bitter. She shares, “I still believe in love and would like to tie the knot again. A failed marriage can’t shake my faith in the institution. Today, no relationship comes with a guarantee card. In fact, I am grateful to Vineet for taking me through this journey. During our separation, I developed anxiety issues, had nervous breakdowns and battled weight issues. But today, I feel liberated and am a new person. I just needed to rest my mind and learn to enjoy my own company. Now, I am concentrating on myself.”
It’s pole dancing that came to her rescue when she hit an all-time low in her life. “Pole dancing helped me come to terms with my complexes, regain confidence and love myself,” she explains.
Ssmilly, who is a pole dancer and trainer now, also wants to give her acting career another chance. She agrees that despite a hit in Kalyug (2005), she failed to cash in on its success. “Back then, Kalyug was considered to be a bold project, and a lot of actresses had rejected it. I auditioned for the role and bagged it. I didn’t go on knocking on my brother’s (Mohit Suri) door for work. I agree that I didn’t market myself — I wasn’t pushy or greedy. While people question my weight today, I was asked to get fillers done under my eyes and go for breast enhancement, as I was reed-thin back then. However, I didn’t let anything deter me then, and nor do I let it affect me today. Size zero will always be in, but I want to celebrate my curves as a woman now,” she signs off.
Divorce hasn’t made me bitter, I still believe in love and marriage-Ssmilly Suri
