Pahlaj Nihalani recalls Divya Bharti continued to shoot after stepping on a nail, would shoot for 20 hours: ‘Mujhse dekha nahi jaa raha tha’

Divya Bharti died aged 19, after falling from the balcony of the fifth floor of her apartment in Mumbai.

Mumbai | May 24, 2024 05:11 PM IST

3 min read

Producer Pahlaj Nihalani talks about his bond with late actor Divya Bharti. (Photo: IMDb)

Producer Pahlaj Nihalani says Divya Bharti was one of a kind actor, whose commitment to craft was unmatched. The former CBFC chief worked with the actor in his 1992 film Shola Aur Shabnam, co-starring Govinda. Divya Bharti passed away in 1993. In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, the producer recalled how Divya would shoot for the film for 20 hours straight, without any complaint. The drama was written by Anees Bazmee and directed by David Dhawan.

“She was a wonderful girl, totally dedicated to her work. She didn’t care if she worked 20 hours or 24. During Shola Aur Shabnam, we would shoot for 20 hours, starting from morning, there would be a scene, then dance, then we would do another scene. I remember in Ooty when she was injured after she stepped on a nail. She didn’t tell this to anyone.

“David Dhawan wasn’t there but the action director was. I was there near the monitor and when she came back from the shot, I didn’t even realise that she was hurt. She asked for my handkerchief and tied on her foot. When I asked what happened, she told me nothing much, but I saw blood coming out! I immediately called for pack-up.”

Also Read | When Sridevi stepped into Divya Bharti’s Laadla after her untimely demise, Raveena Tandon did her Mohra

Though Pahlaj Nihalani called for the shoot to end, he recalled how Divya insisted that the shoot continues and told him that she would give her all to complete it. “Despite calling for pack-up, she kept shooting. Mujhse dekha nahi jaa raha tha, but she didn’t even react that she was injured. When we finally called for pack up, I informed the production that shooting would be cancelled for tomorrow morning.”

Divya Bharti (Photo: Express Archives).

But that wasn’t it for Divya, who was stubborn about not wanting to stall the shoot. Pahlaj Nihalani said Divya’s mother was called, but the actor refused to go to the hospital and even refused home remedies.

“I informed her mother that there was no shoot happening the next day, so that she could rest. But at six in the morning, she took the keys from the housekeeping and sat on my chest, saying, ‘Chalo utho, why are you still sleeping?’ Because normally we would begin shooting early morning. She didn’t agree for the shoot to be cancelled. I have so many memories with her,” the producer recalled.

Divya Bharti was married to producer Sajid Nadiadwala. The actor died on 5 April 1993 aged 19, after falling from the balcony of the fifth floor of her apartment in Mumbai. The mysterious circumstance of her death remains a topic of discussion to this day.

From the homepage