Aditya Chopra's Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge turns 30 on October 20, marking a milestone celebration indeed. Himani Shivpuri, who played Kammo Kaur, Simran's (Kajol) paternal aunt (Bua) in the film, recently spoke about some "crazy" behind-the-scenes moments. She shared how the cast was like one big happy family on set and recalled how Shah Rukh Khan gave her all the cues, while Kajol was "totally mad".
What's Happening
- In conversation with The Indian Express, Himani Shivpuri reminisced about the fun times she had on the sets of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge with Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.
- The actress said, "Our interactions were great. SRK had not become such a big star by then, and Kajol was totally mad..."
- Speaking about Kajol, Himani Shivpuri revealed, "I did Kuch Kuch Hota Hai with her, and Karan was pareshaan because she was such a tomboy. During DDLJ, we used to have lunch and breakfast laid out in one huge room, and we would eat together. Kajol would come wearing shorts that were a little torn, and she would jump on the table and pour curd on Aditya. Other veterans would be so shocked. Once Achala ji told me that actresses in their time were so shy - Meena Kumari and others would sit quietly in a corner of the room, hardly talking. But here it was total mayhem."
- Furthermore, she added that Kajol was a "bookworm". At times, it would be worrying to see the heroine reading away and not thinking about the scene. But Himani Shivpuri elaborated that the moment the camera turned on, "Kajol was magical".
- Sharing her thoughts on Shah Rukh Khan, she said, "When Shah Rukh Khan had first met me, he told me that he was in the crowd in a film where I was playing the lead. In Delhi, I was doing a film called In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones, where I played the Haryanvi girlfriend of the protagonist. When I went back to see the film, I spotted SRK in a small role. From then on, we hit it off. He is such a wonderful human being - so gracious and humble. He was a charming and handsome guy; those were the times when he was becoming a star, and he got along very well with everyone."
Himani Shivpuri On Aditya Chopra's "Clear Vision" For DDLJ
Himani Shivpuri further shared that Aditya Chopra always knew what he was doing. Yash Chopra would be present on set but never interfered with Aditya's work.
Recalling a particular incident, she said, "When we were doing the scene where Amrish ji and the family come back to Punjab and he is meeting everyone, Amrish ji asked Adi what the time would be in the scene. Some people looked at each other and sniggered, but given his theatre background, Amrish ji was a professional. Everybody was laughing behind his back, wondering what he would do knowing the time. Aditya was so clear that he gave the exact time, after which Amrish Puri performed that scene."
In A Nutshell
The Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol-led Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge set a benchmark in the romance genre back in 1995. To this day, the film remains one of the most iconic love stories of all time.
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