 |
|
Sonali
Kulkarni
|
Dil Chahta
Hai is a big leap forward for its debutant director. Farhan
Akhtar is the son of noted screenplay writer Honey Irani. His father
is the National Award winning poet-lyricist-scriptwriter-anchor,
Javed Akhtar. Farhan has earlier directed a music video of Shankar
Mahadevan’s Breathless. Yet when he told his mother he had
signed Aamir Khan for a movie he was directing, even she was surprised.
It was a bold decision for the young man but he was amazingly unruffled
and self-assured as he picked out his star cast. After Aamir Saif
Khan and Akshaye Khanna were roped in. Then Dimple and Preity Zinta
were convinced by Farhan’s enthusiasm and exciting story idea
to give their nods to his ambitious project.
It was Zoya
Akhtar, Farhan’s sister and casting director who made the call
to Sonali requesting her to come across and discuss a film offer
with them. “They had seen my earlier films and also my recent
portfolio. They had almost made up their minds about me and only
wanted to see how I looked in a particular outfit and hairstyle,”
Sonali recalls. She passed the test and today is biting her nails
with the rest of the unit as the film waits for D-day which is on
August 10. “We feel like a bunch of students waiting for our
Board exam results,” she laughs nervously. However, she’s
confident that many of them will be on the merit list and it’ll
be a 100 per cent performance from the class of Dil Chahta Hai.
Sonali is all
praise for her director who’s oh-so-disciplined and professional
and yet never once behaved like the boss and director. “He’s
so normal!” she raves.
Sonali’s
playing a young college girl in the film in love with Saif. She
confesses that it was easy to love Saif because “he’s
such a loving guy and a lovely co-star”.
 |
|
Sonali
with Saif Ali Khan in
Dil Chahta Hai
|
For Sonali Dil
Chahta Hai will always be memorable for the surprise birthday
party the unit threw for her on the sets. “I had not told anybody
it was my birthday but from morning my mobile was ringing non-stop
and Preity in fact asked me why I was getting so many calls. I just
smiled and was walking to the set to give my shot when suddenly
I heard someone boom over the loudspeaker, ‘Today is Sonali’s
birthday and we are all going to wish her when she comes here’.
The look in Preity’s eyes was murderous!” Sonali giggles
at the memory.
It was a working
birthday but turned out to be really special with her colleagues
giving her a great party that evening. Reena and Aamir Khan even
got her few books as her gift and a card and made a place in her
heart forever.
Sonali also
has fond memories of shooting the song Woh ladki hai kahan.
It’s a fun song and Saif and Sonali are dressed like the stars
of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. “We went berserk
and the unit had a laugh. Everyone was having a ball with the exception
of Farhan. I marvelled to see how serious he was behind the camera!”
Sonali reminisces.
In Dil Chahta
Hai Farhan has used only one hair-dresser and make-up man for
the entire lead cast. While Tanuja Dabir was the in charge of make-up,
Avan Contractor took care of hair designing. Sonali recalls questioning
Aamir about the small triangle of hair on his chin that passes for
a cute beard and being told that it was stuck on. “But when
Preity asked him if it was fake he admonished her for the thought
telling her that it had taken him three months to grow it just right,”
Sonali remembers. After that unit members were divided on the issue
of Aamir’s daadi. “It was the reason for many fights,”
she laughs. “Dil Chahta Hai was lots of fun!”
Today Sonali
knows all her Dil Chahta Hai co-stars well enough to describe
them in one word. Aamir Khan’s “professionalism”
personified. Preity Zinta is Ms Spontaniety. Saif Ali Khan’s
“caring” Akhsaye Khanna’s the “silent”
kind. Zoya Akhtar’s a “darling” and Farhan’s
always Farhan. As for Sonali herself she insists that she’s
a sensitive soul. So much for candid talk!
—
Johny D
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
