Born to Dharmendra and Hema Malini, Esha Deol has worked in several films in the early 2000s including Dhoom, Yuva, Na Tum Jaano Na Hum, Kucch To Hai, and No Entry to name a few. Esha, who is now gearing up for an upcoming film, Main, has been grabbing headlines for spilling the beans about her experience in the film industry over the years. Recently, Esha revealed that the Dhoom actress used to have a male team member who would cover her with a towel after her shot when she would wear short skirts on the sets.

In a new interview with Hauterrfly, Esha Deol was asked to comment on whether she has felt uncomfortable with the male gaze on the sets of her films. The actress shared that while she had an all-female crew in her 2021 short film, Ek Duaa, earlier, there used to be mainly male members except the heroines and hairdressers during the shoots.

“If I was wearing a short skirt and shooting with that through the day I had my man Friday he knew shot khatam hote hi main bethungi, towel dal dena (After the shot would finish, the man knew he had to put a towel on my lap). So he came and put the towel or if it is a little low neck where the cleavage is showing a bit, he or my hairdresser, they used to give me a malmal (cloth) and I used to put and sit,” Esha recalled.

The Yuva actress remembered that her mom, veteran actress Hema Malini experienced this culture in the industry. Esha added that her mom would give her tips to avoid being in the zone of feeling uncomfortable on the sets.

Earlier, while speaking to Zoom, the 42-year-old actress had revealed that she was constantly compared with her mom, actress Hema Malini after the release of her debut film, Koi Mere Dil Se Puchche. Esha had signed two films while entering showbiz including her first movie, Koi Mere Dil Se Pucche and Na Tum Jaano Na Hum. Earlier, she had no pressure to live up to the legacy of her parents, veterans Dharmendra and Hema Malini, however, everything changed after the 2002 film.

The Kaal actress was surprised to know how the audience started comparing the then-newcomer to her mom who worked in over “200 films” back then. Esha also revealed how she was body-shamed after she made her debut over her “baby fat” on the face. She admitted having those cheeks at the age of 18 and added that the actress looked “cute” in her roles back then.

The actress spoke to her mom, Hema about how she was feeling overwhelmed with the responses about her looks in the debut. The senior star advised Esha to reevaluate her decision to stay in her Bollywood career or be thick-skinned about these comments and remain thick-skinned in the film industry. Hema also spoke about how the comparisons would always exist.

Esha Deol is best known for her performance in Yash Raj Films’ Dhoom. The actress played the antagonist role of Sheena in the 2004 film. It was headlined by Abhishek Bachchan, Uday Chopra, and John Abraham. Esha’s electrifying dance moves in the track, Dhoom Machale were well-received by the audience back then. She was cast opposite Uday’s character, Ali.