Juhi Chawla may be best remembered for her sparkling chemistry with Aamir Khan in the romantic classic Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, but the early 90s also saw her deliver memorable performances with Shah Rukh Khan, Sunny Deol, and other top stars. Among these was the 1993 action-romance Lootere, directed by Dharmesh Darshan and starring Juhi opposite Sunny Deol.
Juhi Chawla
Sunny Deol Denied Kissing Juhi
While the film featured catchy songs, emotional moments, and energetic action, one scene from the movie remains a topic of curiosity even today, the famous lip-to-lip kissing scene that Juhi reportedly hesitated to shoot. Producer Sunil Darshan, who considers Lootere a significant film in his career, recently opened up about its making. He shared, “I consider it one of the most underrated and important films of Juhi Chawla’s career. I had distributed her early films Sultanat. Juhi had immense potential, so we cast her in Lootere.”
Juhi Chawla
However, even though Juhi had always been the producers’ first choice, she reportedly had some concerns, particularly about the film’s glamorous portrayal of the heroine. According to Sunil Darshan, Juhi wasn’t fully comfortable with certain Westernized styling and sequences. He recalled, “There was a beach song where she just had to wear a shirt and get wet, Main Teri Rani Tu Raja.” Around the same time, rising star Divya Bharti was also keen to join the film, but Sunil felt she wasn’t the right fit for the role. Eventually, Juhi agreed once both Sunil and Dharmesh Darshan reassured her about the character and the film’s vision.
Juhi Chawal
Sunil Darshan also revealed the story behind the lip-to-lip kissing scene, one that Juhi reportedly tried to skip. He said that after signing the film, Juhi was informed about a crucial kissing scene. The team scheduled it toward the end of the shoot. But on the day of filming, Juhi allegedly went missing and informed them she was busy shooting for another film in Udaipur. Though shoot was done but the producers felt the take wasn’t perfect and contacted her for a retake. Juhi’s reply has now become a memorable anecdote. According to Sunil Darshan, she said, “Darshan ji, as per the contract, I had to kiss once. I’ve already done that.”