Waheeda Rehman ‘warned’ Aamir Khan about her weight during Rang De Basanti: ‘Mujhe patak mat dena’
During an exclusive interview with SCREEN, veteran actor Waheeda Rehman opened up about shooting her iconic film Rang De Basanti with Aamir Khan, as the film clocks 20 years of its release today.
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s iconic film Rang De Basanti (2006) completed 20 years of its release this month. To mark the special day, the movie’s star cast members, veteran actor Waheeda Rehman and actor Atul Kulkarni spoke to SCREEN exclusively. During the interview, Waheeda recalled shooting a scene with co-star Aamir Khan, when he had to pick her up in his arms.
The 87-year-old revealed that she warned Aamir about her weight before they shot the sequence together. “When I am severely injured during the scene where police use batons to clear the crowd, Aamir had to pick me up to take me to the hospital in a taxi or something. Tab maine unhe kaha, ‘Aamir, yeh mat sochna ki mai halki hu, I am heavy, mujhe patak mat dena’ (I am heavy, don’t fling me inside casually). He said, ‘Kya baat karahi hain Waheeda ji, I am very strong’. I was just warning him to be careful. It was nice working with him,” she shared.
Talking about the film’s impact and success, she said, “I don’t believe that 20 years have passed. I am very happy that I am a part of this wonderful movie. I might have a small role in some films but they are effective. Many people started the candle marches after this film. There are a handful of movies that you can talk about so many years later. Mujhe isse ehsaas hota hai ab ki meri badi umar hogayi hai (it makes me realise I am old now).”
Waheeda Rehman, who has collaborated with Rakeysh in two films, shared that the director had initially approached her for Delhi-6 before Rang De Basanti. “He came to me for Delhi-6. He narrated the whole story to me, I liked it but he disappeared for around six months, so I thought maybe it didn’t materialise. After a while, he came back and told me that we are making Rang De Basanti first. People mostly see how much footage is there on screen, but I see the impact, what is the character’s contribution to the story.”
She further spoke about their film Delhi-6 and revealed, “After Rang De Basanti, when Rakeysh asked me about Delhi-6, I said no. Because, every time I decide that I would stop working, vo koi na koi achi movie lekar aajaate the (he would come with a good movie offer).”
The veteran actor continued, “It was so sweet of him. I was in Bangalore at that time. He flew down to narrate me the story. My son was there, he told him that please tell your mother, she has to do it, otherwise I will make the set here on your farm. I said yes then. It was good fun, we mostly shot the film in Jaipur. It was a very deep movie, every artist worked hard on it. There were such great songs.”
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On the other hand, Atul Kulkarni, who played the role of Laxman Pandey, opened up about his career’s landmark film. While the director Rakeysh Omprakash would beg to differ, many believe that making Rang De Basanti in today’s socio-political landscape would be difficult. Commenting on the same, Atul said, “Unfortunately yes. Art in any country at any time needs to be independent of the viewers. If filmmakers have a compulsion of thinking who is going to watch or object, what the censor board is going to say, I don’t think real art can be produced. The kind of things we hear everyday in terms of art, it would be difficult to make such a film today.”
He recalled rehearsing the entire script of the film, for AR Rahman to work on its music. “The songs were written and picturised as per the situation in the film. I remember we had done a 20-25 day rehearsal in the studio before starting the shoot. On the first day of shoot, all the cast was there and we had read the entire script, it was recorded, and it was sent to AR Rahman to work on the background score of the songs. He had all the characters reading their own parts like a play. The process was so intense. It had a practical impact on the people, on the ground. When you see people marching with candles in their hands at India Gate, you get to see the impact,” he shared.
The actor credited Mehra and Aamir Khan for keeping everyone in touch, even 20 years later. “There are very few films that you see where the entire unit is in touch even after so many years, and that happened with Rang De Basanti. We talk, meet each other, it is the spirit of that film that still exists. The credit goes to Aamir and Rakeysh, they being the most senior and the captains. It comes very naturally to them,” Atul concluded.
Navya Kharbanda is an Entertainment Journalist and Cinematic Commentator at The Indian Express, where she specializes in bridging the gap between classic Bollywood heritage and contemporary Gen-Z perspectives. Her work is characterized by a blend of nostalgia-driven analysis and on-the-ground reporting from major film festivals and industry events.
Experience & Professional Background
Navya is a prominent voice on The Indian Express entertainment desk, known for her ability to secure candid interviews with both legendary veterans and rising stars. Her career highlights include:
The Indian Express: Covers a wide range of topics from high-stakes box office analysis to in-depth celebrity profiles. She is a regular at major events like the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
SCREEN Interviews: Navya has conducted a series of "exclusive conversations" for SCREEN, featuring industry stalwarts like Anupam Kher, Vishal Bhardwaj, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, and Suhasini Maniratnam.
Archival Reporting: She is noted for her sensitive handling of archival interviews and retrospectives, recently covering the legacy of late superstar Dharmendra and the career reflections of the late Satish Shah.
Expertise & Focus Areas
Navya’s beat is uniquely defined by her "Gen-Z Revisit" series, where she re-evaluates cult classics through a modern lens. Her core areas of expertise include:
Cinematic Retrospectives: Analyzing 80s and 90s landmarks like Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, and Mohabbatein to explore how themes of romance and rebellion resonate with today’s youth.
Industry Insights: Tracking the career resurgences of actors (e.g., Akshaye Khanna) and the evolving dynamics of film production and distribution in the OTT era.
On-Set Dynamics: Reporting on behind-the-scenes stories from major productions, ranging from the technical challenges of Mirzapur: The Film to the work ethics of superstars like Shah Rukh Khan.
South Indian Cinema: Expanding her coverage to include the impact of regional icons and the rise of pan-Indian fantasy epics like Magadheera.
Authoritativeness & Trust
Navya Kharbanda has established her authority by consistently providing "Journalism of Courage" in the entertainment sphere. Whether she is interrogating the sexism in patriarchal classics or reporting on the fair-pay debates at international film festivals, her work prioritizes factual accuracy and critical objectivity. Her ability to synthesize deep industry history with modern audience trends makes her a trusted source for readers seeking both entertainment news and thoughtful cultural commentary. ... Read More
