Aditya Chopra’s directorial debut Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge (DDLJ) changed the face of Hindi cinema when it released back in 1995. The Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol starrer set the template for the romantic genre and also went on to win a National Award and several other accolades. On October 20, DDLJ celebrates its 30th anniversary, and it continues to make many hearts skip a beat. Even three decades later, DDLJ remains an iconic film that every movie lover should watch. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the magic Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge cast on the big screens,
SCREEN spoke to actress Himani Shivpuri, who played the role of Kammo Bua in the Aditya Chopra directorial.
During the conversation, Himani Shivpuri shared some beautiful stories from the set. She recalled how they all were one big happy family and also laughed at the ‘mayhem’ a young Kajol would cause on the sets of the film. Talking about her time on the sets of DDLJ, Himani Shivpuri recalled, “The entire atmosphere on set was so good, earlier films were made at a leisurely pace, everybody was so courteous and friendly. So it was very positive, we were like a family. Yash Chopraji and Pamelaji were such good hosts, feeding you, pampering you, so it was beautiful. Every day on the set was wonderful. I was sharing a room with Faridaji and Achalaji. I was in awe of them. This was my second big film after Hum Aapke Hai Koun, and I was still carrying that rawness of a young actress who was on the set of such a big film.”
Recalling how she was cast in DDLJ, Himani shared, “I had just come to Mumbai after finishing my serial Humraahi, my character in it had become very popular. By then, I had also done Hum Aapke Hai Koun, so maybe Adi must have seen the trials of the film. That time, Zee TV had just come in, and I was shooting for Hasratein. That’s when I got a call from Aditya Chopra. He said, ‘I am Yash Chopra’s son and I am making a film, there is a role and I would like to cast you in it.’ I was a small-town girl fresh from NSD (National School of Drama), so I didn’t know the protocols with the great Yashraj and all. I was shooting in Bandra, and I asked him to come and narrate the script to me. Now, when I think, I am shocked that I just asked him to come there.”
“Shoots are chaotic, but it was his greatness to come to my set and narrate the script. I heard the story of DDLJ in between my shots; he had reached the interval, and I told him I loved it, and that’s how I got to do the role of Kammo,” Himani added.
On her iconic scenes with Shah Rukh Khan and Anupam Kher…
In Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge, Himani Shivpuri’s scene where she is trying on sarees and SRK is rejecting and approving them, went on to become iconic. Her scene with Anupam Kher was also quite loved. Talking about the same, Himani Shivpuri said, “I am proud to be a part of an iconic film like DDLJ. People to date remember that saree scene, my shot was taken separately, and Shah Rukh’s shot was taken separately, but SRK gave all the cues when my part was being shot, and that’s why that scene became so beautiful. There were not too many takes that happened for that scene because there was so much clarity. The scene between me and Anupam Kher, where we bump into each other and then he slowly picks up the roses and gives them to me. In that scene, Pamela Chopra had sung ‘Baharo Phool Barsao’. I have been to many shows where people ask me to re-enact the scenes. I am not Shah Rukh Khan or Kajol, but people still remember my scenes, so I am grateful. Till today, people call me buaji at the airport, and they recite SRK or Anupam Kher’s lines. The film has been alive in people’s minds for 30 years; it’s an amazing feeling.”
On Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan…
When DDLJ was being made, both Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol were comparatively new in the industry. Himani recalls how SRK hadn’t become a star by then, but was quite charming. Kajol, on the other hand, was quite the firebrand. Recalling their memories from the set, Himani says, “Our interactions were great, SRK had not become such a big star by then, and Kajol was totally mad…”
Himani went on to share, “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 Achalaji told me that actresses in their time would be so shy, Meena Kumari and others would sit in one corner of the room, wouldn’t talk too much. But here it was totally a mayhem.”