Farhan Akhtar shares old incident with Sridevi, which could have ended his career
Farhan Akhtar recalls a painful incident from his early days as a film assistant, when Sridevi slipped while shooting on the sets of ‘Lamhe’. The veteran actor’s grace and kindness in handling the situation left a lasting impression on him, for which he says he will always be grateful.
Farhan Akhtar may be celebrated today as Bollywood’s most versatile actor, writer, director and producer, but his early days in the film industry were far from glamorous. In a recent interview ‘120 Bahadur’ actor He shared a heartbreaking memory from his teenage years that almost ended his career before it even started. He recalled an incident involving legendary actress Sridevi on the sets of Yash Chopra’s film ‘Lamhe’.
Recently during an appearance on ‘Aap Ki Adalat’, Farhan said that he was just 17 years old and was working as an assistant to cinematographer Manmohan Singh. “I was Mannji’s seventh or eighth assistant,” he recalled. He told, “It was an emotional dance sequence choreographed by Saroj ji. While Sridevi was rehearsing, Manmohan Singh noticed a stain on the wooden floor and asked someone to clean it. Since I was closest, I ran to wipe it.”
But what happened next was a terrifying moment for the young assistant. He said, “I bent down to clean the floor, coordinating with Maan ji, when she (Sridevi) walked up, slipped and fell. I still remember it in slow motion – Sridevi was flying in the air and hitting the floor.”
As soon as the actor fell, there was silence on the set. “The whole unit was stunned. I thought, ‘That’s it, my career is over,'” Farhan admitted with a nervous laugh. For a teenager who was just starting out, this was an accident that could have been devastating.
However, Sridevi’s reply changed everything. Instead of anger or frustration, he handled the situation with calmness and kindness. “It’s okay, it happens,” he told her, smiling. Farhan recalled, “Everyone followed him and started laughing. That’s when I finally took a breath.”
Recalling that moment, Farhan said that he is very grateful. He said, “I will always be grateful to Sridevi – I truly believe that I owe my career to her.”
Even decades later, Farhan remains one of the most respected actors of Indian cinema, with acclaimed films like ‘Dil Chahta Hai’, ‘Lakshya’ and ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ to his name. Now he is gearing up for his next big release ‘120 Bahadur’, a war drama inspired by Real life bravery of 120 soldiers Who Fought at Rejang La will release in theaters on November 21.
