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Soha Ali Khan revealed that the Rang De Basanti makers asked the cast to return part of their pay, fearing the film might flop—a move that later became historic.
Rang De Basanti (2006) is a landmark Indian drama directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra.
Rang De Basanti, starring Soha Ali Khan, Aamir Khan, Kunal Kapoor, and others, is one of the most loved films to this day. The movie, which was released back in 2006, became a phenomenon, and even after nearly two decades, people are convinced that it’s not the kind of film that can be made easily. But back in 2006, the makers of the movie weren’t sure if it would be loved. In a recent interview, Soha Ali Khan recalled that the makers had requested the cast to return some of the money back as they were unsure about the movie’s success.
While talking to Zoom, Soha recalled, “Nobody anticipated it making the kind of money it did, or touching people the way that it did. In fact, when we were promoting the film, the producers called and said, ‘Can you return some of the money we’ve given you? Because we’re not sure this film is going to do well.’ All of us gave money back. We were like, ‘Okay, maybe, sure.’ But that film became a movement. And for me, it was a turning point in my career — something that I feel will always stand out in my journey.”
Recalling shooting with the ensemble cast, Soha added, “We shot for about a year. We travelled all over India, in Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi, Mumbai. It was a very close-knit crew and cast. We would often wait for hours because Binod Pradhan, our cinematographer, would take his time, and rightly so, to light a shot. Sometimes it would take many, many hours, even half a day. So we ended up spending a lot of time together as a unit. Friendships were made, and at the time we thought, ‘We’ll be friends forever’ — but now it feels like we haven’t spoken in a lifetime, which I later realized is something that just happens.”
Soha Ali Khan on Work Front
Soha Ali Khan most recently appeared in Chhorii 2, alongside Nushrratt Bharuccha, Gashmeer Mahajani, and Jitendra Kumar. Vishal Furia directed the horror thriller, which is available on Amazon Prime Video. It is the sequel to Chhorii, which was adapted from Furia’s 2017 Marathi film Lapachhapi. Chhorii marked Soha’s return to acting after a seven-year absence. She previously appeared in Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3, which was released in 2018.
September 20, 2025, 20:10 IST
