13 years of ZNMD: Did you know Anupam Kher played the role of Farhan Akhtar's adoptive father in the film?

Still from ZNMD

Today marks the 13th anniversary of the beloved film 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' (ZNMD). Released in 2011, this Zoya Akhtar directorial continues to resonate with audiences for its exploration of friendship, self-discovery, and the pursuit of dreams. Featuring an ensemble cast of Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Katrina Kaif, and Kalki Koechlin, ZNMD has become a modern classic in Indian cinema. With an IMDb rating of 8.2/10, the film's lasting popularity and cultural impact are undeniable.

Here's some trivia about the film, contributed to ZNMD's IMDb page by entertainment fans:

Imran played by Farhan Akhtar is seen having a fear of skydiving in the movie but in real life he is a certified skydiver and Arjun played by Hrithik Roshan is a certified scuba diver, but his character is afraid of water.

The La Tomatina festival shown in the movie was re-created in Bunol, Valencia, Spain with almost 16 tons of tomatoes specially flown in from Portugal.

Imraan (Farhan Akhtar) recited poetry throughout the movie, his father Javed Akhtar wrote them.

Anupam Kher played the role of Imran's (Farhan Akhtar) adoptive father (referred to throughout the film as Faisal or Abu) in a flashback scene that was cut from the final film.

As part of the promotions, the cast took an actual road trip from Mumbai to Delhi via Gujarat and Rajasthan. En route, Hrithik and Katrina indulged in some roadside dhaba food, played pranks on common people, and let their hair down like they do in the film.

Makers celebrate 13 years:

As the film completes 13 years today, the makers of the movie, Excel Entertainment shared a heartfelt note along with some BTS pictures to their social media, saying, "Here are some behind the scenes gems from #ZindagiNaMilegiDobara #13YearsOfZNMD."

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara was about three friends on a road trip who each chose thrilling activities to do together. These included participating in the Tomatina festival, skydiving, scuba diving, and running with the bulls. The movie was very successful. In an interview, Farhan talked about ZNMD 2 and mentioned, "We all want the sequel to happen as it's a loved film. We are often asked about part two of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara as the audiences have owned the film. We all hope that Zoya will come up with something for the sequel. It's her brainchild, so we hope."

Zoya Akhtar on Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara 2

Previously, when asked if she was planning to make a sequel to 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara', Zoya Akhtar had told ANI, "Yes, this comes up all the time and everybody is interested. The producers are interested, the actors are interested and we are interested. That movie meant a lot to us. So, if we find that soul for part two, we will make it. We don't want to do it just for money. When the audience comes to watch the second part they will have a certain expectation and we must give it to them, otherwise they won't be happy."