Why was Kriti Sanon called ‘Tiger didi’? The actress reveals the reason

Kriti Sanon debuted with Sajid Nadiadwala’s Heropanti. She got her big break in Bollywood with Jackie Shroff’s son Tiger, which took most of the recognition, leaving her with the label of ‘tiger heroine’. Since then, she has come a long way, carving a niche in the film industry with blockbusters like Bareilly Ki Barfi, Luka Chhupi and Bhediya among others. She won a National Award for her performance as a surrogate mother to Mimi. However, it took years for Tiger to shed the heroin label.

While talking about her early years in the film industry, Kriti revealed that she used to call herself ‘Tiger Didi’. In an interview, the actress said that filmmaker Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s sons used to address her as ‘Tiger Didi’, that’s when she decided to turn the tide. “When you are not from the industry (film family), it takes longer to engrave your name and face in people’s minds. At that time, the children of Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, who later directed Bareilly Ki Barfi, I was called ‘Tiger didi’. Those were the instances when I realized I would have to work doubly hard to get people to recognize me and know me for who I am,” he told Indian Express.

Talking about her debut film, Kriti shared that it didn’t take her long to get her first break. “At the time of Heropanti, even though people knew Tiger and the film marked his release, the director and producer treated the film as a release of two new faces. I also had the quintessential Bollywood heroine moment, songs and all,” he added. Heropanti, the remake of the Telugu film Parugu (2008), was a commercial success grossing Rs 78 crore worldwide on its release.

Meanwhile, Kriti is promoting her upcoming Netflix thriller Do Patti co-starring Kajol. She is playing a double role in Shashanka Chaturvedi’s upcoming directorial which is slated to release on October 25, 2024.