Farah Khan says Shilpa Shetty, Raveena Tandon rejected Chhaiya Chhaiya; reveals how she got Malaika Arora on board

Apart from being an acclaimed filmmaker, Farah Khan is also an incredible dancer and choreographer. Among the many songs she has choreographed in her career, Chaiyya Chaiyya from Dil Se continues to remain an iconic song even after so many years. In an interview, Khan revealed that many actresses including Raveena Tandon and Shilpa Shetty rejected performing in the song.

Farah Khan says Shilpa Shetty and Raveena Tandon rejected Chhaiya Chhaiya

In the peppy track Chaiyya Chaiyya from the movie Dil Se, Malaika Arora danced with Shah Rukh Khan on a moving train. It was something that wasn’t ever attempted by anyone. But before Malaika agreed to perform in the song, multiple actresses were approached. Even stars like Raveena Tandon and Shilpa Shetty rejected the offer, revealed Farah Khan during an event. “Every heroine had refused to do that song. So that’s what I say: ‘You have to be on the right time at the right place’,” she said.

Farah Khan reveals how she got Malaika Arora on board

During the same event, the Main Hoon Na director also shared how Malaika was finally brought on board. She said, “Nobody knew Malaika was a model. I knew her because we knew Arbaaz (Khan) then she was seeing him. I didn’t even know she can dance.”

Also ReaD: 7 Most Expensive Indian Songs Ever Filmed In Indian Cinema

In an earlier interview with IANS, Khan said that everyone says that she discovered Deepika Padukone. However, it was Malaika first. “She is my first child. Two days before the shoot of the song, I called Malaika to do this song. Before her, we had approached six-seven heroines but, nothing worked out. We were in a fix about whom to choose for this song. That’s when Mickey Contractor told me that Malaika is a very good dancer. I said, ‘Malaika is a model’, and I wondered how she would do this Indian dance in a ghagra-choli. So, I called her to Ooty two days before, and we rehearsed at night, and we shot during the day,” she spilled.

The Om Shanti Om director-producer also recalled that Malaika was trembling on the train. “We just made her climb the train. She was trembling; literally, there was no safety, nothing. She had no makeup on, just kajal and a tattoo that Geeta (Kapur) made on her arms. And of course, Shah Rukh was there with her.”

Also ReaD: 12 Star Kids Who Didn’t Make It As Actors But Are Running Multi-Crore Business

Source