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It was 1991. A 17-year-old Farhan Akhtar had just begun his journey in films, working as an assistant to cinematographer Manmohan Singh on Yash Chopra’s romantic musical Lamhe, starring Sridevi and Anil Kapoor. But one incident on set left him convinced his budding career was over, Sridevi accidentally slipped and fell during a rehearsal. Nearly 35 years later, Farhan revisited the moment during his appearance on Aap Ki Adalat on India TV.
When asked about the incident, Farhan exclaimed, “Main kaun hota hoon Sridevi ko girane wala! (Who am I to make her fall?)” He then explained what actually happened: “Unfortunately, such an accident did occur. I was Man Ji’s seventh or eighth assistant on Lamhe. It was a typical Yash Chopra setup — a passionate dance sequence choreographed by Saroj Ji (choreographer Saroj Khan). Sridevi had to express her anger and pain through dance after she heard some bad news. The final shot was supposed to be a crane shot. While Sridevi was rehearsing, Manmohan Singh, who was checking the frame, noticed a stain on the wooden floor. He asked someone to clean it, and since I was the closest, I ran to wipe it off.”
In his haste, he didn’t notice Sridevi approaching. “I was bent down, cleaning the stain and coordinating with Man ji when she walked over, slipped, and fell. I still remember it in slow motion — Sridevi flying in the air and hitting the floor. The entire set froze. I thought, This is it, my career is over.”
But instead of anger, Sridevi laughed it off. “She just smiled and said, ‘It’s okay, it happens.’ Everyone followed her lead and started laughing. That’s when I finally breathed again,” Farhan recalled.
After Lamhe, Farhan moved on to work in advertising, and ten years later, he made his directorial debut with the iconic Dil Chahta Hai. Reflecting on his journey, he said with gratitude, “I will always be thankful to Sridevi — I truly believe I owe my career to her.”
On the work front, Farhan Akhtar will next be seen in 120 Bahadur, a film based on the Battle of Rezang La during the Sino-Indian War.
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