“Camera hil gaya (the camera was shaking)”: Farah Khan recently recalled how she did the casting for Main Hoon Na, where she revealed the story of Rakhi Sawant’s audition. The Shah Rukh Khan-Sushmita Sen-starrer was Rakhi Sawant’s debut film, and people often find it difficult to identify the actor in the film.
Farah Khan revealed in an interview to casting director Mukesh Chhabra that Rakhi Sawant joined the Main Hoon Na shooting two days after the film’s shoot started in Darjeeling. They had cast another actress first but as her mother demanded that she will stay in the same hotel as Shah Rukh. “Uski mummy ne bola woh bade hotel mei rahegi, uss hotel me rahegi jisme Shah Rukh hai. Uske bahut se nakhre shuru ho gaye shooting se pehle hi (The actress’ mother demanded she will stay in a big hotel, will stay in the same one where Shah Rukh is staying. She had too many demands before shooting even started),” Farah recalled. Main Hoon Na was also her debut film as a director.
Farah said she called her assistant and asked which other actress was auditioned for this role. Farah said she received Rakhi’s test where she had turned up in a burka. Recalling the audition, she said, “Rakhi turned up for the test in a burka. The assistant was wary as it was ‘the hot girl’s role’. However, Rakhi in her typical style told him to roll the camera. Then she took off the burka and the entire camera was shaking as she was wearing a bikini underneath. However, we didn’t cast her immediately as she had orange hair but once she came to Darjeeling, our worry was how to cover her up. I was giving her sweaters and berets and she wanted to expose. I had to tell her you will look lovely like this as well.”
Farah said Rakhi was a joy to work with, “She was lovely to work with. Her only request was to make her stand next to Shah Rukh or behind him in a song. She was happy with that.” Main Hoon Na was one of the biggest hits of 2004 and is remembered as a popcorn entertainer.
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