“During Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Sanjay Leela Bhansali showed me 20-30 saris and said, ‘Choose the one you like'” – Smita Jaikar | Hindi Film News
Smita Jaikar, who starred in the 1999 musical drama Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (starring Aishwarya Rai, Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn), talks about her role and her experience working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The film celebrates its 25th anniversary this month…How did you bag the role in ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’?
At that time, I was doing a TV serial called Ghutan. Sanjay ji’s mother was watching the serial. Aishwarya’s mother was being cast at that time, but I didn’t know about it. She told Sanjay Bhansali to cast me, and that’s how he contacted me. His film Khamoshi released but it was a flop. I asked myself, “Who am I to criticise this director just because his first film was a flop?” At that time, I had only done Sarfarosh. It was unfair to me. Also, I was not in a position to choose whether to do a film or not. So I met Sanjay ji and that’s how I got this film.
How was it working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali?
He’s something special. He’s like the embodiment of filmmaking. I don’t think anyone can surpass him at this point.
He was amazing, in my opinion. This was the first film so far (and in Devdas) where the character artistes were given the same importance as the main cast. I want to mention this too. Once, he called me into his office, and there were 20-30 saris hanging there. And he said, “Pick any colour you like.” Nobody has ever given me such importance before. I didn’t specify any particular colour, but I still picked some saris that I liked. And he said, “So, which sari do you think I will wear in the opening scene?” And in Devdas, he asked, “In the confrontation scene, Kirron Kher is wearing this sari. What are you going to wear? You are a Thakrayan.” All the saris and jewellery were meticulously decided before the shoot started.
Another surprising incident that shocked me was when we were shooting for the kite song “Dheel De”. It was a day shift. We were called to the set at 7 o’clock and we were getting ready. Of course, it was light only during the day, so we got ready and went out. After 4 o’clock, the light is lost. So I went on stage. The director said, “Okay, Smita, come here.” He looked at me for a while and then said, “Your haircut today, the length of the comfy hair, whatever, it’s a little darker. Your blush is a little darker, your lipstick is different too.” I myself did not even notice it. So he called my hairdresser and makeup man and asked them to fix it. When a director is so interested in your character, you feel good and you become more interested in your character. That’s why his films look perfect.
Can you share some anecdotes about Devdas (who played Shah Rukh Khan’s mother in the film)?
The first scene in Devdas is a 12-minute shot of Shah Rukh in character and the whole haveli. It’s a handheld camera. Do you know what Sanjay did? He called us to the set. He said, “Come here first without changing clothes or makeup.” He made us rehearse that shot in a full shift from 9 am to 6 pm. After that he said, “Sleep, rest, relax.” A few light scenes were shot and we finished that and packed up. He said, “Tomorrow morning we will have one or two rehearsals and then we will shoot.” That shot was shot in two takes.
How was it working with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan?
Aishwarya then was not “Aishwarya Rai”. She looked like an angel with her chemistry with Salman Khan in Hum Dil… she suited the film very well.
What about Salman Khan?
I remember the first day of the film’s shoot. Salman comes to the haveli for the first time and we are shooting a wet scene. I ask him, “Chal ke aaye ya tair ke?” and he says, “Aunty, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.” I say, “Haan main jaanti hoon.” I asked Sanjay, “How should I say this? Should I say thank you or something like that?” He said, “No, I say main jaanti hoon.” I didn’t want to argue. So I said it the way it should be said. The next line was something like, “I hear this from my husband every day.” People still remember that line, “Main jaanti hoon.”
The most memorable scene in Hum Dil was…
In the jhula (swing) scene, where Aishwarya says, “We are just there,” we are both going our own way. After the shoot was over, Sanjay asked Aish and me to stay behind as he wanted to do another scene. He choreographed for us the scene. He asked us which lines felt wrong. We told him whatever we felt. He then told us how to choreograph the scene. He choreographs his scenes very beautifully. He has a deep understanding of music and saar (stage). He sings very well and has the entire film under his control. The soul he puts into his work is visible in his films.
At that time, I was doing a TV serial called Ghutan. Sanjay ji’s mother was watching the serial. Aishwarya’s mother was being cast at that time, but I didn’t know about it. She told Sanjay Bhansali to cast me, and that’s how he contacted me. His film Khamoshi released but it was a flop. I asked myself, “Who am I to criticise this director just because his first film was a flop?” At that time, I had only done Sarfarosh. It was unfair to me. Also, I was not in a position to choose whether to do a film or not. So I met Sanjay ji and that’s how I got this film.
How was it working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali?
He’s something special. He’s like the embodiment of filmmaking. I don’t think anyone can surpass him at this point.
He was amazing, in my opinion. This was the first film so far (and in Devdas) where the character artistes were given the same importance as the main cast. I want to mention this too. Once, he called me into his office, and there were 20-30 saris hanging there. And he said, “Pick any colour you like.” Nobody has ever given me such importance before. I didn’t specify any particular colour, but I still picked some saris that I liked. And he said, “So, which sari do you think I will wear in the opening scene?” And in Devdas, he asked, “In the confrontation scene, Kirron Kher is wearing this sari. What are you going to wear? You are a Thakrayan.” All the saris and jewellery were meticulously decided before the shoot started.
Another surprising incident that shocked me was when we were shooting for the kite song “Dheel De”. It was a day shift. We were called to the set at 7 o’clock and we were getting ready. Of course, it was light only during the day, so we got ready and went out. After 4 o’clock, the light is lost. So I went on stage. The director said, “Okay, Smita, come here.” He looked at me for a while and then said, “Your haircut today, the length of the comfy hair, whatever, it’s a little darker. Your blush is a little darker, your lipstick is different too.” I myself did not even notice it. So he called my hairdresser and makeup man and asked them to fix it. When a director is so interested in your character, you feel good and you become more interested in your character. That’s why his films look perfect.
Can you share some anecdotes about Devdas (who played Shah Rukh Khan’s mother in the film)?
The first scene in Devdas is a 12-minute shot of Shah Rukh in character and the whole haveli. It’s a handheld camera. Do you know what Sanjay did? He called us to the set. He said, “Come here first without changing clothes or makeup.” He made us rehearse that shot in a full shift from 9 am to 6 pm. After that he said, “Sleep, rest, relax.” A few light scenes were shot and we finished that and packed up. He said, “Tomorrow morning we will have one or two rehearsals and then we will shoot.” That shot was shot in two takes.
How was it working with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan?
Aishwarya then was not “Aishwarya Rai”. She looked like an angel with her chemistry with Salman Khan in Hum Dil… she suited the film very well.
What about Salman Khan?
I remember the first day of the film’s shoot. Salman comes to the haveli for the first time and we are shooting a wet scene. I ask him, “Chal ke aaye ya tair ke?” and he says, “Aunty, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.” I say, “Haan main jaanti hoon.” I asked Sanjay, “How should I say this? Should I say thank you or something like that?” He said, “No, I say main jaanti hoon.” I didn’t want to argue. So I said it the way it should be said. The next line was something like, “I hear this from my husband every day.” People still remember that line, “Main jaanti hoon.”
The most memorable scene in Hum Dil was…
In the jhula (swing) scene, where Aishwarya says, “We are just there,” we are both going our own way. After the shoot was over, Sanjay asked Aish and me to stay behind as he wanted to do another scene. He choreographed for us the scene. He asked us which lines felt wrong. We told him whatever we felt. He then told us how to choreograph the scene. He choreographs his scenes very beautifully. He has a deep understanding of music and saar (stage). He sings very well and has the entire film under his control. The soul he puts into his work is visible in his films.
