It’s been more than two decades, yet Farah Khan’s debut film Main Hoon Na (2004) continues to feel as fresh and enchanting as ever. From the melodies to Sushmita Sen playing perhaps India’s most famous chemistry teacher Chandni, and transformation of Amrita Rao’s character Sanju, the film has become a cult favourite. But behind all that magic was an enormous amount of hard work. After years of silence, Sushmita Sen has now opened up about shooting several scenes in harsh weather conditions.
Speaking to Divya Jain, Sushmita recalled the memorable red saree sequence with SRK. She said, “That red saree I was made to wear… it was 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.” Main Hoon Na was shot in Darjeeling during winters, which made the process of shooting difficult. While the male actor — including Shah Rukh Khan and Zayed Khan — were dressed in woollens, Sushmita was seen only in chiffon sarees.
Shah Rukh Khan and Sushmita Sen in a still from Main Hoon Na. The actress’s saree look from the film became iconic.
She added that Farah insisted on keeping Chandni in a saree throughout the film—something Sushmita initially resisted. “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.’”
Sushmita also recalled how Farah immediately rejected the way she had draped the saree.
“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.” Sushmita was probably talking about choreographer Geeta Kapur and Farah’s trusted assistant.
She then described shooting the now-iconic moment with Shah Rukh Khan. “When the scene happened and I came walking across, Shah Rukh being Shah Rukh 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.”
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Despite the demanding retakes, Sushmita praised Farah for keeping her promise. “Though my role wasn’t huge, she made sure Chandni made an impact every time she appeared on screen.”
