Juhi Chawla, who was paired opposite Sunny Deol in the 1993 film Darr, once refused to do a retake of a kissing scene with him in Dharmesh Darshan's Lootere. Although Juhi was initially a bit hesitant to shoot a beach song, she fulfilled her professional commitment. However, she was not keen on retaking the kissing scene. Producer Suneel Darshan revealed this behind-the-scenes story in a recent conversation with Bollywood Thikana.
"Juhi Was Convinced, But Also Confused"
Recalling how Juhi Chawla came on board, Suneel Darshan said, "There was a beach song where she had to wear just a shirt and get wet — 'Main Teri Rani Tu Raja'. She had some reservations. Meanwhile, Divya Bharti was emerging and was very eager to be part of the film. But I felt she didn't fit the role. So, Juhi was the first choice for both Dharmesh and me. Then Juhi came on board."
Juhi Chawla, who had built the image of a girl-next-door in those days, was not entirely comfortable with the kissing scene. On the first shoot day, she managed to skip filming by citing an excuse.
Meanwhile, the Darshan brothers planned to shoot the scene using multiple cameras.
Suneel said Juhi used the shoot of another film in Udaipur as an excuse to skip the shoot. But he insisted that they complete the scene later since it was essential for "breaking down the walls of inhibition between them."
"Juhi was convinced, but also confused. It feels like naivety today, but there's a very sweet memory. When we narrated the film and signed her contract, there was a crucial lip-to-lip kissing sequence between Juhi and Sunny. The first time we tried to shoot it, we saved it for the end. We had set up an outdoor set, but realized Juhi was missing that day," Suneel recalled.
After completing the scene, Juhi quickly wore a robe and left. However, the makers wanted a retake, so Suneel approached her and informed her. “Mr. Darshan, as per the contract, I was supposed to do one kiss. I've already done that,” Juhi told him.
"It seems like childishness now, but it was very sweet. So, we never shot a retake and kept the first take in the final cut. It's a remarkable film in Juhi's career. The whole film revolves around her. Having a heroine-centric film with a hero back then was a big deal," said Suneel.
About Lootere
The 1993 film, written and directed by Dharmesh Darshan and produced by Suneel Darshan, stars Sunny Deol and Juhi Chawla as the leads, with Naseeruddin Shah, Chunky Pandey, Pooja Bedi, and Anupam Kher in supporting roles.
The film was a blockbuster and one of the highest-grossing films of the year.
