Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has revealed that he improvised an iconic moment in the classic Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (DDLJ), reported Hindustan Times. Speaking about it on the film’s 25th anniversary, he shared an interesting anecdote about the famous pigeon scene that featured the late Amrish Puri saying “Aao, aao.”
“There were several improv moments. They enhanced the script, for sure. There was this scene with Amrish Puri where he was feeding the pigeons. And we had this really funny scene where we are both awkwardly going ‘aao, aao’ to them,” SRK said. “It is a call for pigeons I had heard in Delhi, so I added it. Even the flower that sprays water on Kajol’s face, we hadn’t told her what would happen.”
Anupam Kher, who played the father of Khan’s character in the film, chipped in on his chemistry with Khan. “That’s one thing that is fantastic about Shah Rukh: He is a very affectionate, easy person. When we sort of clap hands and do gibberish words with each other, I invented those words on the set,” he said.
The actor recalled a scene featuring him and SRK as an example. “When Raj is saying, ‘I just failed’ and I introduce him to our ‘ancestors’ in paintings on the wall, that was similar to my own family...My own uncle had failed in 7th/8th grade. So I asked Mr Chopra, ‘Can I use their real names in the film?’” he said.
Released in 1995 to thunderous critical and commercial appreciation, DDLJ became a runaway hit, cementing Khan and Kajol as a romantic pair of the decade. It was the highest grossing Indian film of the year.
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