Flora Saini isn’t just another name floating around in the film and OTT space, she’s been through the wringer and back, and still manages to show up, head held high.
Flora’s first step into acting happened back in 1999 with the Telugu film Prema Kosam. Believe it or not, the film’s producer switched her name to Asha Saini, all because of some astrological mumbo-jumbo, and didn’t even bother to tell her.
When Flora Saini got banned by Telugu film industry
Flora Saini eventually took her name back, though. Prema Kosam didn’t exactly set the box office on fire, but Flora caught people’s attention a year later with Chala Bagundi.
It wasn’t long before folks started noticing she had genuine talent; she didn’t just “act,” she slipped into her roles like she was born for it. Over 150 films later, Flora’s face is a regular across Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi movies. Gandhi Park, Prematho Raa, Narasimha Naidu, her filmography is stacked. Lately, she’s stirred up a buzz on Bigg Boss 9 Telugu, too.
If you’re wondering who Flora Saini really is, here’s the rundown: a lot of people first remember her as that creepy ghost in Stree, alongside Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao.
Flora’s had more names in the industry than most people have had hot dinners started as Asha Saini, then Mayuri (thanks to another astrologer), and finally circled back to her real name.
She’s not just a film person, either. Flora’s made a serious mark on OTT platforms, showing up in everything from Gandii Baat and Inside Edge to Aarya, Rana Naidu, The Trial, and a bunch more.
When Flora Saini was arrested over forged visa papers
Of course, her journey hasn’t been all red carpets and applause. Back in 2008, things got ugly. She was arrested in Chennai over allegedly forged visa papers, which led to a ban from the Tamil film industry. Eventually, the truth came out, she was cleared, and the ban was lifted.
Here’s a fun fact most people don’t know: Flora’s name is in the Limca Book of Records. She managed to release three film i.e. Broker, Vismaya Pramaya, and Vah Re Vah on the same day, December 31, 2010.
She’s also picked up the Uttarakhand Ratna Award and was named ‘The Great Daughter of Soil’ in Mauritius for her work fighting poverty.
Flora Saini Opens Up About Abuse
But behind the camera flashes, Flora’s life has had its share of darkness. At just 20, she fell into a relationship with producer Gaurang Doshi, which quickly turned from sweet to deeply traumatic. She left home, moved in with him, and ended up cut off from her friends and family.
He took her phone, tried to end her career, and the abuse became a daily nightmare; physical, emotional, the works. Flora finally found the strength to get out, escaping and filing complaints against him.
Years later, in 2018, as the MeToo movement swept India, Flora went public. She posted a photo of herself with a fractured jaw, taken after a brutal beating on Valentine’s Day 2007.
She wrote about the abuse she endured, how no one wanted to believe her because she was new and he was powerful. “It was his word against mine, and of course, his word mattered,” she said.
