Meet actress who once worked as receptionist in Manoj Kumar’s office, rose to fame with one iconic role, became highest-paid actress, battled depression, she is…

Late veteran actor Manoj Kumar bid adieu to the world. Kumar passed away on Friday (April 4, 2025) at the age of 87. As per media reports, Manoj Kumar died due to cardiogenic shock caused by acute myocardial infarction. The actor was known for his patriotic movies and, with a strong impression on the audience, he made a place for himself in Bollywood. However, do you know that there was an actress who worked as a receptionist in Kumar’s office? During that time, she was not an actress but had the wish to become one.

This actress’s career graph has witnessed highs and lows. After entering the acting industry, she started her career with Aishwarya Rai’s hit. Later, she went into depression after many of her shows flopped. If you are wondering who we are talking about, then the actress in discussion is Anita Hassanandani.

Anita Hassanandani was once the highest-paid actress on television and has been a part of several hit shows. She once ruled South cinema but when it came to Bollywood, Anita could not do big. She made her television debut with the television show Hum Paanch, which was a flop and soon went off-air. Later, she turned to Bollywood and featured with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Taal. Though the movie was a huge hit, her role in the film was limited.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Anita revealed that when she came to Mumbai looking for work, she landed a receptionist job, which was in actor Manoj Kumar’s office. She worked in Kumar’s office for a long time and later transitioned into the TV industry.

As Anita made her way to the acting field, she did various TV shows. However, her luck truly shined when she started working in South movies like Nuvvu Nenu, Varushamellam Vasantham, and more. However, her movies in the Hindi film industry like Yeh Dil, Kucch To Hai, Krishna Cottage, and Koi Aap Sa failed to make an impression in Bollywood.

Soon, Anita slipped into depression after the failure of Koi Aap Sa. However, it was Ekta Kapoor who truly became her friend and helped Anita to overcome. Anita did several shows like Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Kasamh Se, and more. Anita’s most iconic role was in Ekta Kapoor’s hit show Naagin 3, and she was the highest-paid actress in the show.

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