Anushka Sharma says she’s ‘more than a rat in a rat race’, explains why she stepped down from Clean Slate Filmz

Anushka Sharma has backed critically acclaimed projects such as NH10, Phillauri, Pari, Paatal Lok and Bulbbul through her production house, Clean Slate Filmz, which she founded with her brother Karnesh Ssharma in 2013. In March this year, she announced that she is stepping down from the company, leaving many wondering about the reason behind the big decision.
Anushka, who welcomed daughter Vamika in January 2021, had a busy year as a parent. However, she cited her desire to return to acting as the primary reason for her departure from Clean Slate Filmz. The Bollywood star has now explained more about her decision.

Calling production, a ’24/7 job’, she said the Indian entertainment industry is a rat-race which she isn’t really keen on participating in. She told Harper’s Bazaar, “My industry is all about, ‘run, run, run-it’s a rat race, and you simply have to be part of it. But I’m more than a rat in a rat race. I want to enjoy my life. I enjoy acting in films, I enjoy being in a room full of creative people, discussing ideas, coming up with ways of doing a scene, and thinking about how the audience will react to it. It’s all so pleasurable; I never want to give it up. That is why I had to make a sacrifice.”
Anushka Sharma founded Clean Slate Filmz with her brother Karnesh Ssharma in 2013. (Photo: Instagram/Karnesh Sharma)
Anushka had earlier issued a statement about passing on full responsibilities of her home banner to her brother Karnesh, going forward. Though she wrote that the siblings were novices in the field of production when they started eight years back, but the common thread was their desire to carve their own path through “clutter-breaking content.”
She added she is “deeply proud” with their journey and said her aim with the company was to change the “narrative of what commercial projects should be like.”
Anushka further told Harper’s Bazaar, “Production is a 24/7 job, which, of course, I enjoyed thoroughly. I know the vision I have for the company is the same as my brother’s, and I know that vision will be upheld. What we wanted to do create clutter-breaking, content-forward shows and movies, and promoting new talents-we will continue to do.”

This comes close on the heels of another major decision at Clean Slate Filmz. Recently, the company had announced a female-centric OTT platform. Speaking about Anushka’s decision to leave, Karnesh told , “It is not going to be difficult but we’ll miss her. It is not a deewar, it is not a dramatic stop; she knows everything.”

Clean Slate Filmz’s most recent project was Mai, starring Sakshi Tanwar. Its next ventures include Jhulan Goswami biopic Chakda Express (starring Anushka herself), and a film titled Qala, which will mark the debut of late Irrfan Khan’s son Babil Khan.