Phir Milenge Turns 20: Revisiting Shilpa Shetty's acclaimed performance in Revathy's thought-provoking drama

Celebrating 20 years of Phir Milenge Shilpa Shetty recalls emotional moments on set and Revathy's unyielding vision as a director.

20 years of Phir Milenge

It's been two decades since Phir Milenge hit the big screen. The out-and-out drama, which dealt with the topic of AIDS, stars Shilpa Shetty, Salman Khan, and Abhishek Bachchan in the lead roles. Philadelphia (1993) in Hollywood served as the source of inspiration for Revathy's direction. Now that the film has completed 20 years since its release, you can revisit Phir Milenge on OTT, which is available to stream on Prime Video.

Phir Milenge plot summary and key events

In the film, Tamanna Sahni (Shilpa Shetty) meets her college beau Rohit Manchanda (Salman Khan) at her college reunion, and they share intimate moments. After some time, Rohit departs, and Tamanna returns to her regular schedule. Giving her own blood is what she decided to do after her sister Tanya's (Kamalinee Mukherjee) injury. Her doctor, Dr. Raisingh (Revathy), informs her, however, that she has tested positive for HIV. Something unexpected happens in Tamanna's life.

ALSO READ: World Aids Day: From Revathy's Phir Milenge to Farhan Akhtar's Positive; movies that helped spread the word about HIV/AIDS over the years

Shetty received critical praise and is considered her finest work to date for her role in Phir Milenge, for which she received a nomination for Best Actor (Female). The lead actors' performances were well-received, even though the film was only moderately profitable. 

Shilpa Shetty's experience on set and Revathy's directorial influence

Earlier, while talking about an incident from the sets of Phir Milenge Shilpa told Mashable India's Bombay Journey that once Revathi wept as the main character, who happened to be HIV positive. The actor added that her character was undergoing treatment after losing her job. Plus, Shilpa arrived with her usual makeup—rose, under-eye concealer, and mascara. Her appearance startled Revathy. "You can't wear this," she adamantly stated. Unfortunately, the actor was worried about how she would appear without concealer and under-eye bags. 

But the actor learnt that it's crucial to embody their role to the fullest. At that moment, she is not Shilpa Shetty; she is merely portraying a character. A sincere portrayal of the character is key to its success in attracting an audience. After Revathy told her, "You take off the makeup," she hid in a room and started sobbing uncontrollably. Shilpa still remembers this incident, and it remains a mystery to everyone. She should have known better, and later on, she felt much better.

ALSO READ: From Baazigar to Indian Police Force - Stream Shilpa Shetty's iconic performances on her birthday

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