It has been 25 years since Dil Chahta Hai, and the film continues to resonate across generations with its themes of friendship, love, and relationships.
Recently, in an interaction with Yuvaa, the cast and makers of Dil Chahta Hai reunited to share memories. Aamir Khan revealed how Akshaye Khanna slapped him 17 times for a crucial scene in the film.
Saif Ali Khan asked, "Was it a real slap?"
Farhan Akhtar chimed in, "Yes, it was. I told Aamir that he is really going to slap you, and Aamir said cool. But I told Akshaye that he's expecting it at the end of this line, so do it while he is saying the line - that way there's an element of surprise. It's filmmaking, it happens sometimes. That happened. Then Aamir said, let it happen because it's bringing me into a frame of mind which is helping me. He kept insisting on being slapped again and again."
Aamir Khan added, "It works, you know. Even the angle. When you actually slap someone, it works."
Farhan Akhtar recalled, "By the time we finished, I remember he had a full mark on his face. It was almost swollen on one side."
Suchitra Pillai On Her Slap To Saif Ali Khan
The conversation about slaps began when Suchitra Pillai, who played Saif Ali Khan's onscreen girlfriend in the film, joined in.
She recalled how she is still called the "Dil Chahta Hai Slap Girl".
Speaking about her slapping scene with Saif Ali Khan, Pillai said, "When we were shooting that, I asked Farhan, 'It's Saif Ali Khan, come on, how do I do this? Do I do it in the theatre way?' - describing her instinct to hold back, as stage acting sometimes trains you to. Farhan, directing at the time, said clearly: 'No, go ahead and slap him.'"
She revealed she had slapped him thrice.
Later, she recalled running into Saif Ali Khan's mother, veteran actress Sharmila Tagore, and telling her she was the girl who slapped her son.
Sharmila Tagore replied, "I hope it was a hard one."
Dil Chahta Hai also featured Preity Zinta, Ayub Khan, and Rajat Kapoor.
ALSO READ | 'Flattering To My Ego That I Romanced A Younger Guy': Why Dimple Kapadia Said 'Yes' To Dil Chahta Hai
