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Celina Jaitly reflects on her journey in No Entry, recalling first-day memories, her choice of role, co-star experiences with Salman Khan and Anil Kapoor, and the upcoming sequel.
Celina Jaitly on the set of No Entry in South Africa, sharing memories of her iconic comedy role and first-day experiences.
Two decades after its release, the cult comedy No Entry continues to charm fans across generations. Celina Jaitly, who played Sanjana Saxena in the film, recently shared exclusive insights about her experience on set, her bond with co-stars, and the announced sequel in an interview with SCREEN.
Celina revealed she was originally offered the role of Bobby, later played by Bipasha Basu, but felt a stronger connection with Sanjana. “Initially, I was offered Bipasha’s role. That role too was a strong and memorable part of the film, and I truly loved the way her character shaped up eventually. It even ended up with some wonderful solo songs, which of course every actor loves to have. But my decision to choose Sanjana was purely an artistic one,” she said.
Discussing the first day on set, Celina said, “We were shooting in South Africa, inside a stunning villa by the ocean in Cape Town. My first scene was the now famous living room sequence where Anil Kapoor’s character thinks he is speaking to his wife, but then it turns out to be me and in shock, he faints.” She added that Anil Kapoor’s warmth made her feel immediately comfortable. “It was overwhelming for me because I was a newcomer stepping into a scene with one of the greatest actors of Indian cinema. At one point, he asked if my long hair was real. When I assured him that it was, he laughed and told me how glad he was that I had kept it long and healthy without cutting it. That small exchange broke the ice completely.”
Reflecting on working with Salman Khan, she shared, “Salman brought a very different energy altogether. He was incredibly busy at the time, often juggling two other films alongside No Entry in Mauritius itself, yet he was a lot of fun and very protective about the girls, which was always reassuring. Anilji of course kept everyone’s spirits high with his enthusiasm, generosity, and boundless energy, and he was the epitome of professionalism. Watching him work was a masterclass in itself. Fardeen and I already shared a comfort level from our earlier films which made it easy to work together.”
Regarding the sequel, No Entry 2, Celina said she hasn’t been approached but feels proud to have been part of the original. “It became a mega blockbuster that continues to live in people’s hearts. Perhaps in today’s climate, with the tendency to scrutinize every subject, No Entry might have been received differently. But the innocence and purity of Aneesji’s vision made it timeless, and that is why people still embrace it with so much love,” she said.
Shreyanka Mazumdar is Chief Sub Editor of the entertainment team at News18. With an unbridled passion for all things Bollywood, she loves deep-diving into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment world, bring…Read More
Shreyanka Mazumdar is Chief Sub Editor of the entertainment team at News18. With an unbridled passion for all things Bollywood, she loves deep-diving into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment world, bring… Read More
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