The much-loved romcom Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa completed 28 years on February 25. Bollywood Hungama exclusively interviewed the actress in this film, Suchitra Krishnamoorthi and revealed the 28-year-old hidden secret that Irrfan Khan’s wife Sutapa Sikdar had designed the costumes of the character. Now, Bollywood Hungama caught up with the talented Deepak Tijori. He played a crucial part in the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer and is one of the most memorable films in his long career. Read on to find out what does he have to say about the film.
What comes to your mind when I say Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa?
Director Kundan Shah comes to my mind first. I remember the makers had finished all the casting of Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa and I was still not a part of it. They were looking for an actor to play Chris and Kundan insisted that I should come on board. I remember I was not too sure whether I want to be a part of it. I was running away from Kundan but he was very persuasive. He told me, ‘Ek baar script padh le’. I finally did it and I was completely blown away. I then said ‘yes’ to the project immediately.
How was the experience of shooting for the film?
We shot the film in Goa and we were all friends. So, it was like party time for us. Shooting mein humko kaafi time khaali milta tha. Ashutosh Gowariker and I used to chat a lot and it was during our conversation that the germ of Ashu’s film Pehla Nasha (1993) took shape. Ashu had expressed a desire to make the film. I told him that we’ll work on it after returning to Mumbai. Obviously, we didn’t know Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa would become what it has become today. I’ll always be proud of that film.
The film was made on a tight budget. Did that pose a challenge?
Yes, it was challenging in all respects, from the stay to transport. However, the producer – Vikram Mehrotra – was very sweet and was clear about the situation. Toh kaise kaise karke hum logon ne film banayi. I remember costume designer Sutapa had to work around the budget that was provided to her. So, everyone was doing their best. With a lot of crunches, we managed to pull it off. We used to also be scared that the film might get stalled mid-way or after the shoot. In fact, even after the completion, it stayed in the cans. Later, Shah Rukh took it over and later, the film was able to see the light of the day.
As per IMDb, Shah Rukh Khan’s role was initially offered to you…
No, he was already a part of the film. See, Shah Rukh, Kundan, Aziz Mirza, Saeed Mirza and Sudhir Mishra were all one clan. I was always worried ki ‘boss, main ek naye group mein ghus raha hoon…toh mera kya hoga’ (laughs)! However, they were very accommodating and welcoming. It was wonderful.
How was it working with Suchitra Krishnamoorthi?
Suchitra was very new at that time but she was already good in her craft; that was the most beautiful part about it. You fear that ‘nayi ladki hai. Time lag jaayega scenes hone mein’. But she was fabulous. She had also done a series before.
The film is remembered for its unconventional ending. How did people react to it?
Some people who were big fans of Shah Rukh abused the hell out of me! They complained, ‘Saala, isko kyun mil gayi ladki’. The way the makers crafted was that Chris was an ideal boy. Hence, he deserved to win over Anna. However, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa was not the story of the ideal boy. It was the story of the loser. And we like stories of a character turning from a zero to a hero. I guess it was rightly placed as a zero-to-hero film. And of course, he (Shah Rukh Khan) gets a bigger star in the end (Juhi Chawla)! Toh kuch haath se jaata hai tab takleef hoti hai. But there’s a bigger purpose to it, for which you’ll be thankful.
Suchitra Krishnamoorthi told us in an exclusive interview that you got nervous during the kissing scene…
(Smiles) I was basically trying to protect her. I was also very new to that particular act. So, I wanted to comfort her and since we were already good acquaintances, I had a lot of respect for her. Hence, I felt that we should get this done more easily. Kundan was also happy with the final outcome.
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