actor Sameera Reddy has never shied away from talking about the challenges he faced before making his mark in Bollywood. Although acting was never part of her original plan, she found herself entering the industry after appearing in Pankaj Udhas’ 2000 music video ‘Ahista Kijiye Baatein’. The song’s popularity eventually paved the way for her acting debut alongside Sohail Khan in ‘Maine Dil Tujhko Diya’ (2002). Looking back, Sameera recently revealed that the experience was far from glamorous, recalling severe anxiety on set and opening up about her lifelong struggle with stuttering.Speaking to Haterrfly, Sameera revisited the first day of shooting and admitted that she was overwhelmed with fear. “After shooting a random music video, I came back and it became a super hit song. I thought to myself, ‘I don’t want to do this’. I had so many panic attacks at first. When I did my first film ‘Maine Dil Tujhko Diya’ I remember the first shot. Aishwarya Rai i salman khanall sitting there They were producing the film and Sohail Khan was with me,” he shared.Describing the nerve-racking moment, she added: “I remember all I had to say was ‘Why don’t you go?’ As soon as he said action, I mumbled the dialogue. I was so scared, my hands were shaking and I was sweating. But I remember my therapist saying, “What scares you? If you break it, you break so many other scary things.’ That’s what I teach my kids.”The actor also reflected on living with a speech impediment since childhood and explained how he has gradually learned to accept it instead of fearing judgment. “Today, as someone who stutters, I can tell if someone stutters. But I know inside that I would, what’s the big deal? Are you going to laugh? So what? I’m sitting here, you’re all looking at me. That’s what I think,” she expressed.Sameera also spoke about the experience of colorism during her debut film, revealing that her complexion was deliberately altered on screen. “In my first film, *Maine Dil Tujhko Diya*, I was made two to three shades lighter. I almost looked grey! I used to wear full body make-up to match the color of my face to my body. Do you know how many women have it in their own families? Their own parents and in-laws say, ‘You’re dark or fat.’‘What the hell! Who gave the definition of beauty?” he confessed.