Did you know Dil Chahta Hai actress Sonali Kulkarni was cast opposite Saif Ali Khan after Zoya Akhtar saw her pictures on the floor?

Did you know Dil Chahta Hai actress Sonali Kulkarni was cast opposite Saif Ali Khan after Zoya Akhtar saw her pictures on the floor?

As a passionate admirer of the magical world of Bollywood, I find it truly enchanting to delve into the behind-the-scenes tales that shape our favorite films and characters. The story of Sonali Kulkarni’s journey from anonymity to stardom in Dil Chahta Hai is a testament to the serendipitous nature of this industry, and it resonates deeply with me as someone who has spent countless hours poring over film posters and biographies.


The movie “Dil Chahta Hai,” featuring Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, and Akshaye Khanna, is renowned for its portrayal of friendships. In a recent conversation, Sonali Kulkarni, who acted alongside Saif in the film, shared that she was surprisingly chosen for the role after Zoya Akhtar found some of her pictures on the floor. This discovery left an impression on her, leading to a discussion between them about the opportunity.

In some popular Bollywood films, actors were chosen who surprisingly joined the production. Actress Sonali Kulkarni shared a tale of such an occurrence during an informal chat with Siddharth Kannan for his YouTube channel, where she reminisced about being selected to play ‘Pooja’ alongside Saif Ali Khan in Dil Chahta Hai.

Originally, Kulkarni wasn’t supposed to be considered for Farhan’s first directorial film. However, unexpectedly, someone from the team displayed her casual photos, which were accidentally dropped on the floor. Zoya Akhtar, who is Farhan’s sister, happened to see the actress in those scattered images.

Reflecting on the event, Sonali shared, “My photos fell from someone’s possession and landed on the ground. By chance, Zoya was nearby and found my photos. She picked them up and questioned, ‘Who is this person?’ They replied it was me, but Zoya wasn’t convinced. She mentioned she had watched Sonali Kulkarni’s movies and didn’t recognize me from the photos. Surprised by my casual attire in the pictures, Zoya requested a meeting at the Excel office as she had never seen me dressed casually before. We had a delightful time practicing one scene together, sharing laughter throughout the rehearsal.

As a devoted admirer, I’m sharing a fascinating backstage tale from when I starred in the beloved romantic song ‘Woh Ladki Hai Kahan’. The Mission Impossible actress, none other than me, disclosed that on the day of the song’s rehearsal, I had a theatre performance scheduled. Consequently, I requested the assistant choreographer to wrap up my rehearsals in just three hours. Amazingly, they managed to teach me the catchy hook step within a mere 5 to 10 minutes.

Initiated her journey in the entertainment industry with a Kannada movie back in 1992, Sonali Kulkarni then appeared in various Hindi films such as Mission Kashmir (released in 2000), Dil Chahta Hai (2001), Taxi Number 9211 (2006) and Singham (2011), along with a few others.

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2024-10-24 16:38