Showing posts with label Duplicate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Duplicate. Show all posts
Seeing Duniya Haseeno Ka Mela come alive after so many years feels very special-Udit Narayan
9:05 AM
Samarth Goyal (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 26, 2025)
Udit Narayan is basking in a new wave of love as his 1997 chartbuster Duniya Haseeno Ka Mela is back in the spotlight. More than two decades after its release, the track (heard in the thriller Gupt) has become a viral sensation, after it was used in The Ba***ds Of Bollywood.
“Seeing this song come alive after so many years feels very special,” the playback singer tells us, adding, “I always believed there was something timeless about it. When I was recording it, there was so much energy in the studio, and I could feel this song would be special.”
The track’s newfound virality has been staggering. Days after the show dropped online on September 18, the original music video clocked over 5 million new views on YouTube, while streams surged across Spotify and even Instagram. Now, as he sees youngsters dancing to the number, Udit admits that his initial instincts about the song feel validated.
“I feel very happy when I see so many Reels being made on this song. People are enjoying it in their own way — it shows that good music never gets old,” he tells us.
The 69-year-old also points out that this isn’t an isolated case. “Songs like Mere Mehboob Mere Sanam (from Duplicate, 1998) and Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast (Mohra, 1994) are also popular again. I think it all comes down to melody. That’s what stays, across time and across generations of listeners,” he muses.
‘Don’t give my music away, but i didn’t blink this time’
For Gupt’s director Rajiv Rai, the renewed popularity of Duniya Haseeno Ka Mela is less about nostalgia and more about creativity. “The credit for its success this time does not belong to me, but to Aryan (Khan, director of The Ba***ds Of Bollywood),” he says, adding, “Sometimes all it takes is the right moment and the right storyteller to bring it back.”
Rajiv, who helmed the Bobby Deol–Kajol starrer that the track is from, shares he doesn’t usually allow his music to be repurposed: “I generally don’t give my music away; I don’t like overusing. But, this time I didn’t blink an eyelid. Shah Rukh Khan has been gracious to me, so when he asked me [for the song], I said, ‘Whatever you want’. So happy it worked out.”
I owe everything in my career to Kuch Kuch Hota Hai-Karan Johar
8:00 AM
Harshada Rege (DNA; October 16, 2018)
On this day two decades ago, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (KKHH) opened in theatres and left an indelible mark in the history of Hindi cinema. The romantic drama gave the industry the immensely-talented Karan Johar, who went on to make massive blockbusters, anchor a production house and introduce new talents — directors as well as actors. Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukerji attained new heights of stardom as their respective characters in the film — Rahul, Anjali and Tina — epitomised friendship and love. Karan looks back at his directorial debut and deciphers its ever-lasting magic...
Innocence Personified
Remind the multi-talented personality that it has been a long, successful romance with the movies for him, and he says, “I can’t believe I have been around for two decades in the industry. I also can’t believe that KKHH is 20 years old. I feel like I was a different person then... more innocent, a little more lost, a lot less confident. Also, I was less sure of what I wanted to do. But that innocence resulted in some kind of pure work. None of us now, after having done so much, are capable of the same purity. When I look at KKHH today, my first thought is, ‘What was I thinking?’ (laughs). It doesn’t seem like something I can identify with myself. However, it worked because it connected with that generation as well as the family audience.”
Back In Time
Karan reminisces that he followed his heart while helming this film and that had its own charm. “The times were different, we were far more inclusive as an industry. It was a lot more fun to hang out with each other. Now, of course, things are professional, but I think we’ve lost some of our organic way of going on the set and creating magic. Today, it’s all so rehearsed... you have publicists and agencies. Everything is structured, but it has lost its soul a little bit. I remember we had such a good time shooting Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (KKHH). All the actors were always on the sets. We shot in Mauritius, Ooty, Scotland and every day was memorable,” Karan recalls.
The New Cool
Besides the emotional connect, performances, and the lilting music, the film also gave a new spin to fashion on the big screen. Karan and designer Manish Malhotra ensured that people sat up and took notice of the styling. The writer-director states, “It was the beginning of pop culture in Indian cinema. We thought we would go out of the country and buy branded stuff like Gap, Polo Sport and Tommy Hilfiger. These were brands that neither people nor we had heard of. We saw them and thought let’s just put it out there. I have to credit Manish for having created a new language of cool. Shah Rukh even wore a chain that spelt ‘Cool’. There was a new look for Kajol, who played this tomboy while Rani had a beautiful, soft appearance. I remember youngsters were going crazy about the way Kajol’s hair was done and the hairbands that she sported.”
A Toast To Great Beginnings
Karan, who successfully dons many hats, avers, “I owe everything in my career to KKHH. After its release, I knew I had a job that I could keep (laughs). I was like, ‘Chalo, they won’t throw me out of the industry now. I’ll be able to make more films and create more cinema memories.’” He adds, “Everything I do and have achieved today is because of KKHH. I will always be grateful for its success and the love it continues to get. The fact that it is relevant today and that it still connects with the global audience means the world to me.”
Paving The Path
After this epic love triangle opened in cinemas, Karan went from strength to strength. He recalls, “It not only gave me a career but also a new lease of life to Dharma Productions. Up to that point, my father had backed five or six movies, which hadn’t worked and we were going through a tough time as a production house. In fact, five months before KKHH opened in cinemas, Duplicate had released and not done well commercially. So, it was a difficult time for us and KKHH’s success was imperative. I remember feeling the pressure as a 25-year-old. As a family, we were really nervous about the film’s release, but I’m glad that it rose to the occasion.”
Conviction Equals Success
While Karan won a lot of accolades, his directorial debut also gave him some important life lessons. “Just make a film from your heart. That’s the one thing I tell everyone. KKHH is innocence personified,” he exclaims, before adding, “It taught me that conviction equals success, even if it’s not monetary, it’s at least personal. If you look at it, the movie has a screenplay and logical loopholes, but I was so convinced that I could achieve an emotional narrative around those that I went ahead and made it. I always tell directors, even in Dharma, that if you are convinced about what you are making, you will pull it off and get the audience to believe in it, too. And that will result in commercial success.”
Finding Family
A conversation about this SRK-Kajol-Rani-starrer can’t be complete without talking about its main cast. “I was exceptionally close to Kajol as a child. I got to know Shah Rukh during Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Rani while making this film,” he mentions. Over a course of time, the trio has collaborated with each other on various projects and have also formed a deep bond with each other. “All relationships go through some highs and lows, but I can proudly say that 20 years later, they are not just my friends but even my family. I am in touch with them almost every day. They are a big part of my emotional and life decisions and I am a part of theirs. Shah Rukh, Kajol and Rani will always be my family,” signs off Karan.
When Yash Johar saw my work in Duplicate, he signed me to direct a film-Farah Khan
8:31 AM
The
choreographer-director on why she prefers hands-off filmmakers and how
her acting debut enlightened her on why actors have flings on set
Kunal Guha (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 28, 2017)
Clocking 25 years in Hindi cinema, choreographer-director Farah Khan “feels like a veteran” — especially, “when working with newer directors”. But she’s happy to have her own voice. “I was never politically correct, but now I am over 50 and have been in the industry for 25 years, utna license I have now,” says the mother of three, who has also judged 22 reality shows as the medium offers “loads of money for less work”. “People see me for what I am on TV and nothing I say or do in any show has been scripted,” says Khan who feels the drama stirred by introducing audiences to the personal lives of contestants is justified. “In India, we’re an emotional lot. But we, as judges, aren’t swayed by the contestants’ stories. In fact, in Indian Idol, we chose the top eight as voting gets influenced by these stories and then strange people end up winning these contests,” says Khan, who has, on ocassion, gotten misty eyed following a performance. “It’s all real, I am not such a good actress.”
Khan found her calling in filmmaking after watching Rahul Rawail’s Arjun. “It was similar to how Michael Jackson’s Thriller drew me to dance,” says Khan, who approached several directors, including Shekhar Kapur, who was working on Time Machine then. “But he already had 14 assistants.” Luckily, a chance meeting with Mansoor Khan led to a conversation on how the then dancer could help him cast young talent for his film Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. “I agreed on the condition that he would let me assist him and I was hired for a grand salary of Rs 1,000 a month,” she says, adding that she spent more in commuting. “I cast Mamik and many others, Akshay Kumar had auditioned for Deepak Tijori’s role but didn’t make it, then Milind Soman was in the movie earlier,” she remembers.
Clocking 25 years in Hindi cinema, choreographer-director Farah Khan “feels like a veteran” — especially, “when working with newer directors”. But she’s happy to have her own voice. “I was never politically correct, but now I am over 50 and have been in the industry for 25 years, utna license I have now,” says the mother of three, who has also judged 22 reality shows as the medium offers “loads of money for less work”. “People see me for what I am on TV and nothing I say or do in any show has been scripted,” says Khan who feels the drama stirred by introducing audiences to the personal lives of contestants is justified. “In India, we’re an emotional lot. But we, as judges, aren’t swayed by the contestants’ stories. In fact, in Indian Idol, we chose the top eight as voting gets influenced by these stories and then strange people end up winning these contests,” says Khan, who has, on ocassion, gotten misty eyed following a performance. “It’s all real, I am not such a good actress.”
Khan found her calling in filmmaking after watching Rahul Rawail’s Arjun. “It was similar to how Michael Jackson’s Thriller drew me to dance,” says Khan, who approached several directors, including Shekhar Kapur, who was working on Time Machine then. “But he already had 14 assistants.” Luckily, a chance meeting with Mansoor Khan led to a conversation on how the then dancer could help him cast young talent for his film Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. “I agreed on the condition that he would let me assist him and I was hired for a grand salary of Rs 1,000 a month,” she says, adding that she spent more in commuting. “I cast Mamik and many others, Akshay Kumar had auditioned for Deepak Tijori’s role but didn’t make it, then Milind Soman was in the movie earlier,” she remembers.
A self-trained dancer, Khan was part of a dance group called The Original Sphinx in college, which also included four male dancers. The only breakdance and electric boogaloo group in town, they bagged background dancing gigs in films such as Jalwa, Saat Saal Baad and even featured in a number inspired by Michael Jackson’s Thriller in Saamri. “I was the one in the white dress behind Jagdeep. I thought I might become famous someday so I wore mud on my face so that no one recognises me,” says Khan, who also choreographed for commercials including the one for a shoe brand featuring Salman Khan and Sangeeta Bijlani. “The first 4,000 rupees I earned, we got a fridge in the house. We didn’t have one for 10 years and would ask our neighbours to store cold water for us,” says Khan, remembering her “nomadic childhood” following her parents’ separation.
That Khan famously bagged the choreography duties for Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar when Saroj Khan didn’t show up is known. But she embraced the profession only once introduced to the perks. “When I went as an assistant to shoot the film in Ooty, I travelled with the other assistants and spot boys in a third class compartment. But when I returned, having choreographed for the film, I was given a flight ticket. So, I thought, this isn’t a bad job,” remembers Khan, who bagged 1942: A Love Story, when Vidhu Vinod Chopra saw the rushes of Pehla Nasha and Yahan Ke Hum Sikandar. Soon, she was approached by “alternate filmmakers” like Kundan Shah (Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa). “I never got any mainstream films initially. When I was doing Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Indra Kumar came to see the songs. He had hits like Beta and Dil and was about to begin work on Ishq. But he didn’t like my work as he, like most, was used to working with traditional choreographers,” says Khan, who collaborated with 33 debut directors.
But Khan feels her best work hasn’t been with makers who excelled in their craft. “A director who’s not good with songs is fine as long as he lets me do it my way. But a director who’s bad with songs, and has a massive ego, will mess up a song,” says Khan, who appreciates hands-off directors. “Bhattsaab never showed up for the songs of Duplicate and they were such a hit that when Yash Johar saw them, he signed me to direct a film which never took off.” Khan eventually made her directorial debut with Main Hoon Na, another film she thought would never get made. “I narrated the script to Shah Rukh during Mohabbatein, he said yes during Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and then it took another three years for the film to go into production.”
Following two bona fide hits, that Khan’s third directorial (Tees Maar Khan) was sorely criticised has to do with multiple factors. “One reason could be that people genuinely didn’t like it. Secondly, at that point, Shah Rukh and I had a public fallout, so some people felt the need to pick sides. Thirdly, I was riding high on Om Shanti Om then, so people like pulling down someone who has done well,” she says, adding that “Tees Maar Khan made 69 crore — more than most so-called hits”.
Playing the lead in Bela Sehgal’s Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi may be another feather in Khan’s cap. But she recalls it as her “most painful experience” since all she had to do was wait for her part in the vanity van. “There was so much free time that Boman and I would play board games. That’s when I told him, now I know why actors have affairs on set — it’s out of sheer boredom.”
Having had her share of fallouts with actors such as Akshay Kumar, Khan says, “In 25 years, if you’ve not had fights with anybody, you’re clearly not standing for anything. Even with Akshay, I was angry and pissed when he didn’t promote Joker. But later, we met at a children’s birthday party and everything was hunky-dory again,” she says, equating her temper to a soda bottle.
About to complete writing her untitled next, Khan feels that her films can’t be slotted in a genre. “People expect a little bit of everything in my films or as Shirish says, they expect a thaali.”
A list of injuries suffered by Shah Rukh Khan till date
8:18 AM
Mehul S Thakkar (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 22, 2014)
Shah
Rukh Khan recently suffered a major blow while shooting for Happy New
Year which led to a head injury, a fractured shoulder getting and a torn
knee patella tissue. It’s not the first time that the actor has been
injured during a shoot. Known to perform daredevil stunts himself,
injuries haven't stopped him, they have only pushed him to work harder. A
source close to the actor tells Mirror that everytime he has injured
himself, he has returned to the sets in a week or at best, in 10 days.
And this has often resulted in having to undergo more surgeries later. EXPERT SPEAK
Physiotherapist
Dr Aijaz Ashai says, “I'm sure Shah Rukh is exercising regularly. He
needs to work on building muscle around joints and increase the
endurance of muscle fibre. He also needs to rest for a while so an
injury can heal. He has a flexible body and many people guiding him. 1996 - INJURY NO 1 (Body Part –Ribs)
One of Shah Rukh's first injuries was in the 90s when he fractured three ribs while shooting English Babu Desi Mem. But he was back on his feet in a jiffy, shooting for his next, Trimurti.
1997 - INJURY NO 2 (Body Part – Knee)
Shah Rukh broke his knee during an action sequence in
Koyla. Since they were in Arunachal Pradesh, he continued shooting so
Rakesh Roshan would not undergo losses. He required a surgery later. 
1998 - INJURY NO 3 (Body
Part – Right Toe)In 1998, while shooting for Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se, he injured his right toe during a sequence that required him to jump.
1998 - INJURY NO 4 (Body Part--Chest)
While shooting for Duplicate, a costume that Shah Rukh was
wearing resulted in a big cut on his chest. He needed multiple
stitches. 
2001 - INJURY NO 5 (Body Part – Right Ankle) Shah Rukh broke his right ankle in 2001 while shooting for his movie One 2 Ka 4.
While shooting an action sequence for Shakti -- The Power, he suffered a back injury. The diagnosis said prolapsed disc. In 2003, while filming Chalte Chalte and just before he started Kal Ho Naa Ho, he had to undergo surgery.
2010 - INJURY NO 7 (Body Part -- Left Shoulder) He broke it while shooting a cameo in Dulha Mil Gaya.
2010 - INJURY NO 8 (Body Part-- Left shoulder)
Pain intensified during My Name is Khan. Another surgery. 2011 - INJURY NO 9 (Body Part-- Right Shoulder)
Hurt it again during Ra.One and had to undergo a major surgery. 2013 - INJURY NO 10 (Body Part -- Right Shoulder)
During Chennai Express, the pain aggravated requiring another surgery.
2014 - INJURY NO 11 
A door fell on his head during Happy New Year resulting in a fractured shoulder and torn knee patella tissue. 
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