Main Hoon Na (2004), starring Shah Rukh Khan, Sushmita Sen, Zayed Khan and Amrita Rao, completed 20 years on April 30 and it’s a film remembered for many reasons, be it the performances, humour, action, music, casting and lastly, the location. The majority of the film was shot in St. Paul’s School, Darjeeling. Farah Khan on Rajeev Masand’s audio show ‘Picture Ke Peeche’ revealed that she came across the institution while watching Raj Kapoor’s Mera Naam Joker (1970). She then called his son Randhir Kapoor to find out more about the place.
20 Years of Main Hoon Na: Farah Khan shot the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer in St Paul’s Darjeeling, where Raj Kapoor had filmed Mera Naam Joker: “We got the location for free. We installed a water heater in the dormitory”
Farah also revealed, “He (Randhir Kapoor) was one of the few people who asked me ‘Why do you want to direct a movie? Down the ages, when choreographers direct a movie, toh unki dukaan bandh ho jaati hai’! So, I was very disheartened. But I found that even Guru Dutt was a choreographer.”
She also added, “And yes, I did call him (Randhir Kapoor) because I just could not find (a place). I didn’t want a campus that is unearthly and doesn’t (feel real). I wanted a campus that might be upmarket but still (feels like it is located) in this country.”
Fortunately for Farah, getting the permission was not difficult, “The management gave the location to us for free. I spoke with the Father, and he was very happy. The only condition was that we should shoot in December when the kids are on holiday. In December, however, it was freezing cold. All my 100 dancers and other crew members lived in the school dormitory.”
Life in St Paul’s was memorable, and she called it one of the best memories of shooting for Main Hoon Na. “There was a church on the campus. We would all pray there daily. We used to eat our meals in the mess. We installed a water heater in the dormitory. The students never had the chance to have hot water,” she said.
In ‘Picture Ke Peeche’, Farah Khan also confessed that “Hum Tum was one of the working titles. And Hum Tum won the Filmfare Award that year!” The romcom starred Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji in the lead.
Also Read: 20 Years of Main Hoon Na: “Shah Rukh told me, ‘Kamal Haasan would blindly do the movie. He owes me a favour. I SUFFERED during Hey Ram’s shoot. I was made to sing Tamil and Telugu songs” – Farah Khan
More Pages: Mera Naam Joker Box Office Collection , Mera Naam Joker Movie Review
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