Former Bollywood actor Somy Ali, who now runs a successful Florida-based NGO called No More Tears, which rescues and helps victims of abuse and trafficking, was recently offered the UK reality show Rise and Fall. However, she declined the offer, stating that the show is scripted and would not contribute to her growth as an individual or as an actor.
She explained, “I declined for two reasons: I am not making a comeback by being a contestant where there is a high potential of my being outcast for their TRP BS. This isn’t an egotistical response, but one where I am keeping my self-respect and dignity intact.”
Somy further said, “I have serendipitously worked with Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Chunky Panday, Saif Ali Khan, Govinda, Om Puri ji, Aamir Khan, Vinod Khanna, Kamal Sadanah, Vivek Mushran, Divya Bharti, Naseeruddin Shah, Mithun Chakraborty, Dharmendra ji, Jeetendra ji, and the late Rishi Kapoor ji. I am not making a comeback in a scripted reality show.”
For her, such shows do not represent the true growth of the arts. She explained, “On the contrary, it’s devolution after luck offers you something you never expected. No offense to their show—I wish them all the best—but it’s just not how I want my life to take a turn right now.”
Currently, Somy is focusing on her NGO and her upcoming talk show The Uncomfortable Conversation, which she will be launching soon. She shared, “That’s a lot of work, as this won’t be a conventional talk show. Rather, it breaks all barriers, and my guest and I will be extremely vulnerable. Why have a conversational show that is rehearsed, where both the guest and host are walking on eggshells before they answer?”
She added, “That’s a people-pleaser talk show. I have never been cut out for that and have always done things my way since I was a kid and even as an adult.”
For Somy, it’s important to go with the flow and engage in genuine conversations. “Therefore, my show will be an equal opportunity where two people get into real banter rather than a typical question-and-answer format.”
Talking about her vision, she said, “My show will break all societal norms. I want real people, not the curated versions portrayed on social media—mine included. That’s all a farce. Secondly, I have founded Somy Ali Productions, which has been on my bucket list for years. The primary genre will focus on real-life issues, not fluff. And I want to give new actors and filmmakers an opportunity to catch a break.”
Although she turned down the contestant offer, Somy admitted she would have considered hosting. “If they want to offer me something to host where nonsensical garbage is NOT fed to the viewers, I am one hundred percent in. But no way will I ever be a contestant.”
Reflecting on her past, she added, “After doing a reality show in Hollywood, which was completely unscripted—about rescuing victims alongside law enforcement, and airing on Discovery+ and Amazon Prime—there’s no way I am going backwards in my film or OTT career. They kept coming back three to four times, and each time my answer was no. Finally, they moved on.”
When asked if she would consider short films or OTT projects like the Madhuri Dixit-starrer The Fame Game, she replied, “I will definitely do short films along the lines of what the late Shashi Kapoor ji produced, like 36 Chowringhee Lane, or Bhatt Saab’s Arth, but nothing fluffy. Even my contemporaries are doing phenomenal work, from Kajol to Tabu.”
Sharing her admiration, she said, “I am a huge fan of Taapsee Pannu, Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, and above all, Shefali Shah. I like their choices of films and scripts. But at the moment, as I said, I am busier working on my own production company than anything else, which gives me the freedom to produce, act, direct, and write my own scripts.”
