‘Dil Se,’ till today, remains as one of the most-iconic films of the 1990s as well as considered as one of filmmaker Mani Ratnam’s finest works. Starring Shah Rukh Khan and Manisha Koirala in lead roles, this film marked the Bollywood debut for Preity Zinta in a supporting role. Now, in a recent Instagram post, the latter delved into nostalgia, reflecting on her experience on the set of this cinematic gem.
Sharing a photo of her close-up shot, Preity shared an interesting yet humorous anecdote from the film wherein Mani Ratnam had asked her to wash her face when he noticed her. Initially, she took it as a joke, thinking about her makeup coming off. However, she realized he was serious about it, and genuinely making the request.
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The ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ actress captioned the adorable photo of her smiling, “This picture was taken on the first day on the set of Dil Se. I was so excited to be working with Mani Ratnam sir & Shah Rukh Khan. When Mani sir saw me he smiled and politely asked me to wash my face…. But sir… my make up will come off, I said smiling …. That’s exactly what I want… Pls wash your face…. He smiled back. I thought he was joking …. Then I realised he was not !!! So thanks to the amazing Santosh Sivan ( our Director of Photography) I filmed with a freshly washed face and got away with it. I guess he shot me Dil Se.”
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Take a look at it here:
‘Dil Se’ was released in 1998. Zinta’s portrayal of the simplistic character of Preeti Nair garnered widespread acclaim, and won her several Filmfare Awards as well.
The storyline follows Amar, portrayed by Shah Rukh Khan, a radio journalist caught in a complex romantic relation with Meghna, a mysterious woman played by Manisha Koirala. Set against the backdrop of the insurgency in Assam, the film received mixed reviews and achieved decent box office success, but its soundtrack, composed by AR Rahman, became immensely popular, and is still sung by all today.
Though it’s not in theatres anymore, thanks to OTT, ‘Dil Se’ is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, for those who wish to watch it.
