Vinay MR Mishra (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 9, 2023)

'Shilpa acting kar sakti hai' — this is the perception that developed of actor Shilpa Shirodkar after she starred in Aankhen. The film, she admits, changed her life: “Every Friday gives birth to a new star. That Friday was a changing point in my career. I signed many good films, worked with lovely directors. And I started charging more money!”

Her song Angna Mein Baba is popular even today. However, not many know that her part in the film was offered to actor Juhi Chawla, initially.

“I am glad whoever was approached said no, because I got a chance to do it,” says Shirodkar, whose character enters only in the second half of the film. Did that bother her, though?

“I was never such a big actor. For me, working with a producer like Pahlaj (Nihalani) ji, a director like David Dhawan and being cast opposite Govinda... It didn’t matter whether I came before the interval or after it. I just hoped ki aage jaake unke saath aur kaam mile,” she confesses.
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Soumya Vajpayee (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 9, 2023)

The film Aankhen gave singer Kumar Sanu a big hit — the cult classic O Lal Dupatte Wali. “It is evergreen. It’s funny, yet has a beautiful story. It has a catchy tune and rhythm, too,” he says.

Sanu feels back in the day, musicians had more freedom: “Director ke upar koi baat nahin kar sakta tha. Aaj jaise actors har department mein interfere karte hain, aisa nahin tha [pehle].”

Recalling working on the song with late singer-music composer Bappi Lahiri, Sanu says: “Bappi Da played it just once and told me and my co-singer, Sudesh Bhosale, to record. Maine unse itna kaha ki gaana sikhaiye, but unhone hanste-hanste kaha, ‘Tu ga, ho jayega’. The kind of trust he had in me was heartwarming.”