It has been 16 years since Om Shanti Om was released theatrically. Looking back at the success of the film, Farah Khan has something to say.
Farah Khan talks about the film, Om Shanti Om.
Last Updated: 10.38 AM, Mar 09, 2024
Om Shanti Om was a blockbuster film of the year 2007 that featured superstar Shah Rukh Khan and actress Deepika Padukone in the lead roles. Directed by renowned filmmaker Farah Khan, the movie marked Padukone's debut in Bollywood. While today SRK and Padukone are big names in the film industry, Farah Khan has made some interesting revelations about their past.
In an interview with Mashable India, Farah addressed the challenges of casting a ‘new face’ in Bollywood, especially for a film featuring Shah Rukh Khan in it. Farah underlined that there was a huge pressure of her while she was curating the requirements of the female lead in the film. Underlining that ‘it was a dream for every actor to work with Shah Rukh’, Farah expressed why and how she selected Deepika Padukone for the film’s role.
Farah said, “No one is going to give you a launch unless you are a big star's son. Sorry to say, but that is the truth… I launched her [Deepika Padukone] because of Shah Rukh Khan. He was there. So, I could take that risk.”
With this statement, Farah not only underlined the prevalence of nepotism in Bollywood but also the fact that she banked upon male stars in the past instead of the female ones.
Presently speaking, the situation in the film industry has improved significantly. Nowadays, more female-oriented films are created.
Also, after the humongous success of Om Shanti Om, Farah Khan worked with Shah Rukh and Deepika again in 2014 for the film ‘Happy New Year’. She also offered guidance to the two stars in their 2023 theatrical, Pathaan.
Deepika Padukone and Shah Rukh Khan have plenty of projects to work on presently. While Shah Rukh will be working on Tiger Vs Pathaan, Deepika Padukone will work on a Rohit Shetty directorial soon.