17 Slaps, One Swollen Face: The Dil Chahta Hai Story

Dil Chahta Hai, one of Bollywood’s most iconic films, apparently had some intense moments during production. As per reports in Indian media, during one particular sequence, Akshaye Khanna and Aamir Khan filmed a slap scene, multiple times. We’re talking 17 takes. With full contact. Every. Single. One.

Filmmaker Farhan Akhtar, who both directed and starred in the film, recently opened up about just how rough that day was. After the scene wrapped, Aamir’s face reportedly bore the marks, swollen and visibly struck from the repeated takes. That’s some serious dedication to getting the shot right.

Both Akshaye Khanna (known for Border, Ittefaq, and other notable work) and Aamir Khan (legendary for films like Lagaan and Dangal) have made their names on intense, committed performances. So maybe it’s not shocking that even a single scene would get this level of commitment and take after take after take until it was perfect. These are the kinds of behind-the-scenes stories that remind us why Dil Chahta Hai remains such a beloved classic.

Good news: both have reportedly laughed about the swollen face situation since. Our sources are on alert for more Bollywood gold.