Throwback! When Sushmita Sen revealed WHY Farah Khan apologized to her after 'Main Hoon Na' release

In Pic: Main Hoon Na poster

Sushmita Sen is one of the most loved actresses in Bollywood. The actress, who gained widespread popularity for her role in Shah Rukh Khan's 'Main Hoon Na', once revealed that Farah Khan had apologized to her because the final cut of the film barely featured her. The 1994 Miss Universe winner spoke about the unique trajectory and "small but powerful role" of her character, Chandni Chopra - a sentiment reaffirmed by the late film maestro Yash Chopra.

Sushmita shared that 'Main Hoon Na' became career-defining because everyone "keeps going back" to the film. Recalling a pivotal moment during the film's final edit, Sushmita mentioned that director Farah Khan had apologized for her limited screen presence.

Farah Khan apologised to Sushmita Sen for limited screen presence

In an interview with 'Humans of Bombay', Sushmita revealed: "She (Farah Khan) called and said, ‘Sush, I have seen the final edit, and I have to apologize to you. Shah Rukh, of course, has the role, Zayed and Amrita have a role, but you are barely there.' So I was like, ‘That's okay, Farah. We had a deal - you kept your promise, and I kept mine. It's done; now don't worry about it.' But inside, I was thinking, ‘Oh no, I am barely there!' The ('Main Hoon Na') screening happened at Film City. My phone started ringing. And I didn't know why Yash ji (Yash Chopra) was calling me. The whole gamut of the industry was calling. So, scared, I picked up the phone."

Yash Chopra praised Sushmita Sen for her work in Main Hoon Na

She recalled the unexpected and heartfelt praise she received: "‘You have done amazing work; I could not take my eyes off you.' Yash Chopra told me he wanted to see me in the second half of the film. I had avoided the screening, fearing disappointment since Farah Khan had mentioned my limited presence. But from the response, I knew something had changed. The role hadn't changed, but the impact had. The role was still as small as it was, but it was powerful enough."

One of the most remarkable outcomes following the film's release was the transformation of its promotional posters. Initially, they prominently featured Shah Rukh Khan, Amrita Rao, and Zayed Khan. However, the posters were later revamped to spotlight Sushmita alongside Shah Rukh. This change was driven by the audience's palpable demand to see her more prominently associated with the film.

Sushmita shared: "The reaction of the audience was so intense that the first posters of 'Main Hoon Na' all over Bombay had Zayed Khan, Amrita Rao, and Shah Rukh, or Shah Rukh alone. By Saturday, after the film had released, there were posters of Shah Rukh and me everywhere. That is the power of people and audiences, and I have huge respect for that... The audiences were like, ‘We want her; we want to see her up there with him (Shah Rukh).' Farah called me and said, ‘All the posters are being brought down, and new ones are being put up. You better go for a drive today.' And I did."

About Main Hoon Na

'Main Hoon Na', Farah Khan's directorial debut, featured Shah Rukh Khan, Sushmita Sen, Suniel Shetty, Amrita Rao, and Zayed Khan. The film centers on Major Ram Sharma (played by Shah Rukh) undertaking a covert mission as a university student to protect a general's daughter, Amrita, from a treacherous soldier.