Even after more than 20 years, Farah Khan’s ‘Main Hoon Na’ which released in 2004, continues to hold its charm for its music, performances, its unforgettable moments, Shah Rukh Khan’s aura and Sushmita Sen’s dreamy avatar as Chandni. While Sushmita’s entry scene in the film wearing that red saree has become iconic, the actress has now opened up on the challenges and the unforgettable memories of shooting. Sushmita revisited that scene and said in a conversation with Divya Jain, “That red saree I was made to wear came out freezing cold. On top of that, Farah Khan put a massive storm fan because Chandni’s hair needs to fly all the time. If Chandni is in the classroom, her hair is flying; if she’s crying, her hair is flying; even if it’s raining, her hair is flying. It was a mandatory requirement for the character.”While Sushmita’s saree look is now an eternal favourite of everyone unanimously, did you know that the actress initially had opposed to it. Sushmita recalled, “When she told me I would be in a saree for the entire film, I said, ‘Please don’t do this to me. This is my first film with Shah Rukh; I want to wear 50,000 different costumes.’ But she was like, ‘Trust me, you’re in a saree and that’s it.’”She also opened up on how Farah made her tie the saree and said, “The day I wore that red saree and walked out, the first change ever, Farah looked at me and said, ‘Kya lungi baandhi hai? Geeta, take her back.’ After that, Geeta tied it really low. I was worried the whole time, ‘Bas yeh gir na jaye!’ The pallu was kept very long.”Here’s how Chandni and Ram’s chemistry happened. “When the scene happened and I came walking across, SRK being SRK opened his arms. I playfully lifted my hand so the pallu would brush his face. These are moments that only happen on set—when actors capture magic in the moment. But Farah being Farah made us do it again and again because she wanted multiple angles. That moment set the tone for Chandni and Ram,” revealed the actress. Sushmita also added that Farah kept her promise of casting her in her first film and despite the fact that her role was not very big, she made sure that Chandni made an impact every time she’s on screen.
