Main Hoon Na (2004) starring Shah Rukh Khan, Sushmita Sen, Zayed Khan and Amrita Rao in the lead roles completed its 20th release on April 30 and is a film that is remembered for many reasons, be it the performances, the humor , the action, the music, the cast and last but not least because of the location. The majority of the film was shot at St. Paul’s School in Darjeeling. Farah Khan revealed on Rajeev Masand’s audio show ‘Picture Ke Peeche’ that she came across the institution when she watched Raj Kapoor’s show My name is Joker (1970). She then called his son Randhir Kapoor to know 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 shot Mera Naam Joker: “We got the place for free. We installed a water heater in the dorm.”
Farah also revealed, “He (Randhir Kapoor) was one of the few people who asked me, ‘Why do you want to direct a film?’ Over time, when choreographers direct a film, That’s why his shop is closed‘! So I was very discouraged. But I found out that even Guru Dutt was a choreographer.”
She also added, “And yes, I called him (Randhir Kapoor) because I just couldn’t find a place. “I didn’t want a campus that was otherworldly and didn’t feel real. I wanted a campus that was perhaps a little more upscale, but still felt like it was in this country.”
Luckily for Farah, getting permission wasn’t difficult: “Management gave us the location free of charge. I spoke to the father and he was very happy. The only condition was that we should shoot in December when the kids are on vacation. However, in December it was freezing cold. All of my 100 dancers and other crew members lived in the school’s dormitory.”
Life at St. Paul’s was unforgettable and she called it one of the best memories from filming Main Hoon Na. “There was a church on campus. We would all pray there every day. We always ate our meals in the canteen. We installed a water heater in the dorm. “The students never had the opportunity to get hot water,” she said.
In ‘Picture Ke Peeche’, Farah Khan also confessed, “Hum Tum was one of the working titles. And Hum Tum won the Filmfare Award this year!” The romantic comedy starred Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji in the lead roles.
Also Read: 20 years of Main Hoon Na: “Shah Rukh told me, ‘Kamal Haasan would do the film blindly. He owes me a favor. I suffered during the shooting of Hey Ram. I was made to sing Tamil and Telugu songs” – Farah Khan
Other pages: Mera Naam Joker Box Office Collection, Mera Naam Joker Movie Review
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