‘I’ll play it drunk’: Vinod Khanna decided to get drunk on 99 sets, had a glass in his hand, reveal Raj and DK

Filmmaker duo Raj and DK revealed how Vinod Khanna decided to be drunk on the sets of their first Hindi feature, 99.

Vinod Khanna shot for only two days for 99

Vinod Khanna acted drunk in one of the scenes in 99. (Photo: Express Archives)

The late legend Dharmendra continues to be remembered for his iconic turn in Sriram Raghavan’s Johnny Gaddar. Around the same time, another charismatic character left a lasting impression in a mad comic caper of that era, Raj and DK’s 99. The role was played by another yesteryear star, Vinod Khanna, who appeared in an extended cameo that remains immensely fun to watch even today. Recently, in an exclusive conversation with SCREEN, filmmaker duo Raj and DK revealed how Vinod Khanna was slightly tipsy during the shoot.

What Raj and DK said about shooting with Vinod Khanna

Recalling the experience, Raj said, “We just got two days with him to shoot, as he was in the middle of a lot of things. So I remember the first day, everybody was waiting, we were all scared. ‘Oh God, how do we direct?’ The fact that the word itself, you know, you have to go direct Vinod Khanna, doesn’t sound easy. So we were waiting for Vinod ji. Then he called us inside. We went in and told him the scene. And I think he was tipsy.”

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Krishna DK then stepped in to explain exactly what had happened. “So, no, there were three scenes, and we were shooting them in sequence. So he played the first scene sober and we got done. And after the second scene, he called us to his van and said, ‘Listen, I’m going to play it tipsy. I’m going to be a little drunk.’ And we were like, ‘Oh sure, if that’s what you want to do. It doesn’t have to be.’ He said, ‘No, no, it’ll be good. I’ll play it drunk.’ But the thing is, he already had a glass in his hand. And when we came out, we decided that he had probably already made up his mind that he was going to have a few drinks. So we were like, let’s just take what we get, because we don’t know what will happen.’”

Watch Raj and DK interview talking about Vinod Khanna here

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Raj further added that the choice initially made them nervous, given how intoxicated performances are often portrayed in Hindi cinema. “We were very nervous because usually when actors get drunk, they do the same sort of typical acting that we have seen far too many times in Hindi movies. But Vinod ji played it really well, and that decision of him being a bit high also added some gravitas to the scene.”

In the latter half of his career, Vinod Khanna appeared in very few films, but 99 continues to be remembered as a cult comedy. More recently, his second wife Kavita Khanna spoke to Loveena Tandon about the deeply personal phase of his life that drew him towards spirituality and Osho. She shared, “I think he started listening to Osho’s discourses as they went through a terrible period in their lives, with five deaths in the family, including people who were particularly close to him, like his mother. When his mother died, he went to the ashram and took sanyas. That’s how that journey began.”

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