Usha, who got her first break in Madhur Bhandarkar's "Traffic Signal", said it was very tough for her to convince producers and directors that she could be an actress.
"When I started my journey in showbiz, I faced many rejections because people used to tell me that I didn't have heroine material in me. I am thankful to Madhurji for believing in me and giving me my first break," Usha said on the sidelines of Cine Bahas Talab 2013.
"When I won the National award, the attitude towards me changed overnight. People are convinced with my hard work and acting prowess. Getting roles in films have also become a bit easy as compared to my past struggle," Usha said while addressing a session on the 'Role of women in Cinema' here.
The actress said she is happy that newcomers with no film background are getting opportunities these days.
"I feel every new comer today is challenging. Most of them don't have any film background. From last year, I have seen that industry has opened up and given chances to many fresh faces," she added.
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