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Karan Johar directed some scenes of Ra One, says Shahana Goswami: I did it for Shah Rukh
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Ra.One released in 2011. Shahana Goswami, known for her performances in acclaimed independent films such as Firaaq, Tu Hai Mera Sunday, and more recently Santosh, has also been part of several mainstream commercial projects over the years. One of the biggest films of her career was Shah Rukh Khan’s Ra One, where she played a relatively small role. In a recent conversation with Siddharth Kannan, Shahana opened up about taking on the film primarily because of Shah Rukh Khan, despite knowing that the role would not satisfy her creatively as an actor. ‘I felt like I had shortchanged myself’ Shahana recalled that working with Shah Rukh was a “great experience” and shared that there were some scenes that were shot by Karan Johar, even though Anubhav Sinha was the director of the film. “For me, what matters is the process of doing the film. And I had a great time on the film. We had a lot of fun. Working with Shah Rukh was a great experience. Everybody on set, Kareena and everyone else, was wonderful. One of the scenes was shot with a double unit, so Anubhav Sinha was doing the action bits, and there were some home scenes that Karan Johar had directed as well. So it was actually a lot of fun in that sense,” she said.However, she admitted that the film wasn’t creatively stimulating. Calling it a “realisation” for herself, Shahana said, “It was one of the last couple of films where I felt like I had shortchanged myself. I agreed to do something that didn’t satisfy me and that I knew wouldn’t satisfy me as an actor. So that was one of those films. At the same time, I was very happy doing it because Shah Rukh was very generous. At no point did he make it awkward. He made it very clear to me: ‘Listen, I want to work with you, and I know this is not good enough for you, but I’ll make it work.’” Shah Rukh Khan in a still from Ra.One.‘I didn’t care if Ra One was a hit or not’ Speaking further about her experience of working with Shah Rukh Khan, Shahana recalled how his kindness and honesty made a lasting impression on her. “That was very sweet and very generous of him, especially towards somebody who was a completely unknown actor. There was really no need for him to do that. And therefore, I did the project knowing that I wasn’t going to be creatively satisfied with the role and everything that came with it. But I did it for the experience, of being part of that kind of film, of being part of a Shah Rukh Khan film. It was his production, you know, and that aspect of it was exciting. So I didn’t particularly care whether the film was a hit or not.” Shahana also revealed that Ra One was not the only film where she felt creatively unfulfilled. Looking back, she named a few other projects that left her feeling similarly, like Break Ke Baad and Heroine. “I would say the few films that I wasn’t as satisfied with, in that sense, were Break Ke Baad. Again, I had a great time making Break Ke Baad. I made great friends on it and we had a blast. But as an actor, I wasn’t satisfied with what I did, I mean, with the scope I had as an actor. Ra One and Heroine were the other two. These were the three films where I did small roles in big films, thinking, ‘Let’s try doing it.’ Because everyone around you says that if you do a small role in a big film, more people will know you, it will add to your profile, and it will help you get other opportunities. But after doing them, I realized that this doesn’t suit me as an actor. When I do this, I don’t feel fulfilled creatively.” ‘People are too attached to Kapil Sharma’s real life personality’ In the same conversation, Shahana also spoke about comedian Kapil Sharma, with whom she worked in Zwigato. Directed by Nandita Das, the film cast Kapil against type and showcased a side of him that audiences had rarely seen before. While the film did not perform well commercially, Sha
A 25-year-old woman was found dead at her marital residence in Gurgaon’s Pataudi area, following which police registered a dowry death case against her husband and four relatives based on a complaint filed by her family. (Representative image) A 25-year-old woman was found dead at her marital residence in Gurgaon’s Pataudi district on Tuesday, following which police registered an FIR against her husband and four of his relatives on dowry death charges based on a complaint by the victim’s family. According to the complaint filed by Dhor Singh, a resident of Palwal district, his daughter Sonia (alias Somwati) married Sahil (27) in 2020.Singh alleged that his son-in-law began physically assaulting Sonia a year after their marriage after she discovered her husband’s ‘extramarital affair’. He also claimed Sahil’s family allegedly supported him. The victim’s family had earlier filed a complaint regarding the harassment at Hailey Mandi police post three years ago. However, a compromise was reached and Sonia returned to live with her in-laws. According to the FIR, the alleged mistreatment and physical assaults resumed shortly thereafter. Singh said Sonia had been living at her maternal home for the past month and had returned to her in-laws’ house on May 24. On May 26, Singh said he received a phone call from Sonia’s mother-in-law informing him that his daughter was admitted to a hospital and her condition was critical. “When I tried calling my daughter’s phone, it was answered by the police who informed me that she had passed away,” Singh stated in the FIR. When he rushed to their house in Jaidev Colony with the police, Singh alleged he found his daughter with deep marks on her neck and alleged foul play.Story continues below this ad The Hailey Mandi police post initially received information that the victim had died by suicide by hanging. When Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Narender Kumar reached the spot, the body was found on the floor near a bed. A team inspected the location, and the body was sent via private ambulance to the government hospital in Pataudi and then the Gurgaon mortuary. Police have booked five people: the husband Sahil, his brother Tilakraj, and their relatives — Vicky, Kallu, and Mamiya — who live in Palam Vihar, Delhi. Station House Officer of Pataudi police station Inspector Bijender Singh said investigation is underway. “We are in the process of sending notices to the accused to join the investigation, and are awaiting the post-mortem report before making any arrests. Prima facie, it appears to be a case of suicide.”Story continues below this ad Speaking with The Indian Express, Singh said the couple has two young boys, aged three and four, who are in a state of shock and unable to speak. “The police have called me to the station on Monday for an update on the probe. We will see then. I want justice for my daughter. She had studied in an ITI, while Sahil claimed to be a lab technician at a hospital,” he said. The case was registered late Tuesday night at the Pataudi police station under sections 80 (dowry death) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). © The Indian Express Pvt Ltd Abhimanyu Hazarika is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Gurgaon. He covers southern Haryana. Education - Post-Graduate Diploma in Print Media, Asian College of Journalism (Class of 2020) - B.A. (Hons) Liberal Arts with a major in Political Science, Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts (Class of 2019) Professional Experience Before joining The Indian Express, he worked with Bar & Bench (legal journalism) and Frontline magazine, where he developed experience in court reporting, legal analysis, and long-form investigative features. Reporting Interests His work centres on civic accountability, environmental policy, urban infrastructure and culture, crime and law enforcement, and their intersections with politics and governance in and around Gurg
New DelhiMay 25, 2026 01:56 PM IST Abhimanyu Singh opened up about his flop 2001 debut film Aks, with Amitabh BachchanToday he is known as Bukka Reddy from Rakta Charitra, but Abhimanyu Singh started his acting journey with zero Bollywood connections. After spending eight years doing theatre, Manoj Bajpayee recommended the actor to filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra for his next film. That’s how Abhimanyu marked his big screen debut in the 2001 film Aks, opposite veteran superstar Amitabh Bachchan. However, in a recent interview, he opened up about the aftermath of the movie’s failure and how it landed him with zero offers in hand, despite starring with the biggest star of the film industry. During a candid chat with Hindi Rush, he shared, “He (Manoj Bajpayee) came to watch my play, and then recommended my name to Rakeysh Mehra. Then, Rakeysh did my screen test and finalised me for Aks. It was my first film, which flopped badly. This is the truth.”The actor further added, “People feel that Abhimanyu Singh got his first film with Amitabh Bachchan. But the truth was that after the release of that film, I did not even have work in serials. I can say this today. If the film flops, then no matter how well you act in it, it doesn’t matter.” Abhimanyu Singh emphasised that no matter how good an actor is, the future opportunities are dependent on the film’s box office performance. “If a film flops, then it doesn’t even count. Many times it happens that some things flop but certain elements in it are so good or they get critically acclaimed. Audience likes something very much, then it is a different thing. Sometimes it also happens that something flops first and then becomes a hit again,” he shared. There have also been many instances where a particular film picks up after a week of its release, case in point – Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit’s Tezaab. “Tezaab, I remember in Patna, we went to the theatres on the first day and it was empty. We liked the film very much, then after 10 days we thought of watching it again. When we went on the 10th day, it was housefull and tickets were being sold in black. Then we got to know that the film had picked up pace after a week, so this also happens,” he said. On the work front, Abhimanyu Singh has a great lineup of projects, including, Batwara 1947 (formerly Lahore 1947), They Call Him OG, and Akshardham: Operation Vajra Shakti.
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