MUMBAI: The 2007 blockbuster, Om Shanti Om, remains a towering cultural touchstone in Indian cinema, celebrated for its unique blend of romantic fantasy, high melodrama, and dazzling musical sequences.
Written and directed by Farah Khan, the film launched Deepika Padukone's career opposite superstar Shah Rukh Khan, telling the story of a junior artist who is murdered and reincarnated three decades later to seek vengeance and reunite with his past love.
The film was a phenomenal commercial success, ranking as the highest-grossing film of its release year.
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However, no single element of the film is perhaps more legendary than the iconic song, "Deewangi Deewangi."
This sequence is famous for featuring an unprecedented ensemble of nearly 30 prominent actresses and actors in cameo appearances.
Director and choreographer Farah Khan recently revealed the hilarious, yet highly effective, behind-the-scenes secret she used to secure this massive turnout, admitting that high-end fashion played a crucial role in her successful negotiations.
The sequence was conceived as a grand cinematic tribute, requiring the simultaneous presence of numerous A-list female stars—a logistical nightmare given their perpetually packed schedules.
Farah confessed that conventional requests were simply insufficient. She turned to the film's celebrated costume designer, Manish Malhotra, to provide an irresistible incentive.
Jokingly explaining her strategy, Farah Khan confessed, "I literally had to bribe them with Manish Malhotra sarees.
It was the only way to get so many top actresses to agree to a single-day shoot."
The elaborate musical number saw every participating actress adorned in a unique, custom-designed, and sparkling outfit.
Farah shrewdly transformed this necessary wardrobe expense into a powerful bargaining chip.
She confirmed that the promised reward was simply the garment itself, detailing, "Every actress who agreed to do the song was promised that they could keep the custom-designed saree they wore in the sequence."
This guarantee of an expensive, complimentary designer piece proved highly successful in securing the commitment of several of the industry's busiest stars, providing a fascinating insight into the creative strategies required to orchestrate one of modern Indian cinema's most memorable star-studded sequences.
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CREDIT: CREDIT: NEWS 18
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