When Farah Khan made Om Shanti Om, one moment that went on to become truly iconic was the song “Deewangi Deewangi.” Besides Shah Rukh Khan, the lavish number featured 31 stars from across the Hindi film industry, including Dharmendra, Rekha, Jeetendra, Mithun Chakraborty, Shabana Azmi, Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji, Priyanka Chopra and Shilpa Shetty, among many others. One notable absence, however, was Amitabh Bachchan. The megastar skipped the shoot because his son, Abhishek Bachchan, was marrying Aishwarya Rai the very same week. Interestingly, more than Big B’s absence from the song, the industry was busy discussing how none of the stars had been invited to Abhishek and Aishwarya’s wedding.
Recalling the incident during a conversation with Pallavi Joshi on IFTDA Official’s YouTube channel, Farah laughed, “Amitabh Bachchan didn’t come for the Deewangi song shoot because Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan were getting married the same week.” She then joked, “Now, the industry was not called (to the wedding), so they all came for the shoot. So that’s good.”
The stars who said no
Amitabh wasn’t the only actor who missed the song. Cinema legends Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand, along with Aamir Khan, also chose not to appear. Speaking to Film Companion, Farah revealed, “We had more people lined up, but some didn’t land up. Fardeen Khan got arrested at Dubai airport when he was coming to shoot for us. Aamir Khan refused to come. Dev Anand Sahab told me, ‘I don’t do cameos,’ and hats off to him, he doesn’t do cameos.”
She later elaborated on Aamir’s refusal during Maniesh Paul’s podcast. “Aamir’s was the funniest. He kept me hanging and finally said he was editing Taare Zameen Par. I told him, ‘Just come, I’ll finish your shoot in two hours.’”
She continued, “Then he called me and said, ‘Farah, I am editing. If I leave the editing for two hours and come for the shoot, my film will be delayed by six months.’ I said, ‘You please don’t come.’ Later, when I asked him about it, he admitted, ‘I just didn’t want to come.’”
As for Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu, Farah placed the responsibility on Shah Rukh Khan. “Shah Rukh was responsible for bringing Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu. I’m still waiting for them to come. He kept saying he’d personally pick them up. I waited for five or six days, but eventually I couldn’t extend the set any longer.”
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The last time Bollywood felt like one big family
Farah believes “Deewangi Deewangi” marked the last time the Hindi film industry truly came together as one family. “I had divided the shoot into six stars every day. People would come, finish their shots and then simply hang around to watch everyone else perform.”
Salman Khan, Dharmendra, Shah Rukh Khan, and Saif Ali Khan in Deewangi Deewangi song. (Photo: T-Series/YouTube)
One memorable behind-the-scenes moment happened completely by accident.
“The shot where Salman jumps into Dharam ji’s portion wasn’t planned at all. He had wrapped his shoot four hours earlier but stayed back just to watch Dharam ji perform. When we rolled camera, he suddenly jumped into the frame. Then Saif jumped in too. It was all completely spontaneous.”
Bringing 31 stars together wasn’t easy
While the song appears effortless on screen, coordinating 31 celebrities was an enormous challenge. “It wasn’t just about making phone calls,” Farah explained. “I had to personally visit everyone.” Designer Manish Malhotra proved invaluable during the process. “All the heroines were happy because Manish was designing their costumes, and they got to keep them.”
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Shah Rukh, meanwhile, ensured every celebrity felt appreciated. “He gifted everyone a luxurious hamper that included a Tag Heuer watch, a BlackBerry phone and several other goodies. Each hamper was worth around Rs 1 lakh. They got to keep their costumes, received a lavish gift and Mickey Contractor did everyone’s makeup. They genuinely had a great time shooting. Even Shabana Azmi personally called me and said, ‘I’m coming.’”
It was during these preparations that Manish Malhotra and Rekha formed a close friendship. Speaking on Farah’s vlog, Manish recalled, “I met Rekhaji there. It was one of the first times I styled her. I absolutely love her. She is an obsession.”
Even Shah Rukh became punctual
Managing five superstars every day with two-hour slots also had one unexpected consequence. Appearing on The Kapil Sharma Show, Farah quipped, “That was probably the first time Shah Rukh would actually arrive on set on time in the morning.” She added that since he was the producer, lead actor and unofficial host of the shoot, he couldn’t afford to be late.
Shilpa Shetty’s shoot was cancelled
Despite the massive planning, there were inevitable hiccups. Shilpa Shetty’s shoot had to be postponed because Farah wasn’t satisfied with the length of her saree. Speaking on Farah’s vlog, Shilpa recalled, “We had prepared everything, but Farah didn’t like the length of the saree.” Farah laughed, “I’m a perfectionist.” Shilpa continued, “She cancelled the shoot. Even Shah Rukh suggested we shoot the next day. So I came back, we fixed the problem, and Farah continued working despite being pregnant with triplets.”
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Shilpa Shetty in Deewangi Deewangi song. (Photo: T-Series/YouTube)
Farah thanked her, saying, “You were on screen for barely 10–15 seconds, but everyone remembers you. It was so sweet of you to come back. Back then, we had the luxury of shooting the next day.” She then teased Shilpa, saying, “You were there flaunting your tiny waist while I was pregnant. Even after two kids, you still have the same waist!”
Rekha rehearsed for three days
Among all 31 celebrities, Rekha was the only one who insisted on rehearsing. “She came for rehearsals for three days. We kept wondering, ‘What are we even rehearsing with Rekhaji?’ But she insisted. She arrived every day, wore her own saree, did her own makeup and said, ‘Sharp at 3 pm, I’ll come out.’ Some people would arrive late, but not Rekhaji.”
Rekha in Deewangi Deewangi song. (Photo: T-Series/YouTube)
Govinda arrived 24 hours late
If Rekha was the most punctual, Govinda was the complete opposite. “Govinda came 24 hours late,” Farah recalled. “Everything was ready. His shot was set up. I called him and asked, ‘Chichi, where are you?’ He replied, ‘I’m shooting in Dharavi.’ I said, ‘But we’re in Film City!’ Eventually, he came the next day.” Even then, Farah refused to choreograph him herself. “I never had the courage to choreograph Govinda. His partnership with Ganesh Acharya was so iconic that I felt nothing I created would look better.”
Govinda in Deewangi Deewangi song. (Photo: T-Series/YouTube)
Instead, she asked Govinda to choreograph Shah Rukh for their portion. “They recreated the Bade Miyan Chote Miyan steps, and it turned out brilliantly.”
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Mithun Chakraborty’s arrival caused a stampede
One of the most unforgettable moments occurred when Mithun Chakraborty arrived. Speaking on Radio Nasha, Farah said, “People went crazy for Mithun da. There was almost a stampede on the set.” She added that technicians, lightmen and crew members rushed to meet him because of the immense respect he commanded. “I think he was the president of one of the workers’ associations and had done so much for them. People were even handing their phones to Shah Rukh so he could click their pictures with Mithun da.”
Mithun Chakraborty in Deewangi Deewangi song. (Photo: T-Series/YouTube)
Composed by Vishal-Shekhar with lyrics by Javed Akhtar, Deewangi Deewangi remains one of Bollywood’s most memorable celebration songs, bringing together an unprecedented 31 stars in a single frame—a feat that many believe is unlikely to ever be repeated.
