Smita Jayakar, who played Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s mother in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, has shared a small, human memory from the making of the 1999 favourite. In a conversation with Siddharth Kannan, she recalled how the bond between Aishwarya and Salman Khan played out in front of the unit.
What she saw on set
Jayakar said the two were clearly drawn to each other while the film was being made. In her words, “They were both in love, and they looked angelic.” She felt that real connection reached the camera and added to the film’s appeal, rather than working against it.
A waiting crew and a late entrance
The shooting schedule felt the effect. Jayakar remembered that the unit had a 7 am call time, but the actors would often arrive together at 11 am. Some crew members were frustrated, she said, while she took a gentler view: when you are in love, what can you say?
- The unit’s call time was 7 am; Jayakar says the two leads often arrived at 11 am.
- Crew members complained about waiting, but Jayakar saw the delay as part of being in love.
- She credited the actors’ real chemistry with helping the film, not hurting it.
The touch that was not in the scene
One moment came during the song ‘Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan’. Salman was supposed to walk around a table and look at Aishwarya, but he touched her arm. Sanjay Leela Bhansali asked him why. Jayakar said Salman just felt like touching her, and the moment left the crew laughing and Aishwarya blushing.
Why it still matters
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, starring Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Ajay Devgn, remains one of Hindi cinema’s most loved romantic dramas. Its music, visual scale and central performances have kept it alive for a quarter-century. A small story like this is a reminder of why the film’s love triangle still feels warm, and it gives fans a new reason to rewatch the song.
Source: bollywoodHungama.com