No makeup, muddy outfit: How Malaika shot 'Chaiyya...' with SRK
What's the story
Malaika Arora, the popular Bollywood actor and dancer, recently opened up about her experience shooting the iconic song Chaiyya Chaiyya. The iconic track, which features Arora and Shah Rukh Khan dancing atop a moving train, is considered one of her career-defining moments. In an interview with Pinkvilla, she revealed that she shot the song without makeup and in a lehenga rolled in mud!
Behind-the-scenes
Arora on the song's importance in her life
Reflecting on the song's impact, Arora said, "Chaiyya Chaiyya is something, to date, that gets lots of love, lots of recognition. I am; I am the person, and I am because of that. It has given me so much in life." The song was directed by Mani Ratnam and featured music by AR Rahman and lyrics by Gulzar.
Look transformation
When Ratnam asked Arora to remove her makeup completely!
Arora revealed that she initially arrived on set in full makeup and a pristine lehenga-choli designed by Manish Malhotra. However, Ratnam had a different vision for her character. He asked her to remove all her makeup, saying it wasn't looking nice. "I was like, 'Take out matlab pura makeup nikal ke.' He is like, 'Just take out everything.'"
Outfit details
Her outfit was rolled in mud, too!
The surprises didn't end with the makeup. Ratnam also asked the team to roll her outfit in mud to give it a banjara vibe. "Then he said, 'The outfit is looking too clean, it is looking too neat... You know you are somebody, you return to show like a banjara. You have to have that.'" "I was like, firstly, I have to remove my makeup and then I have to wear an outfit which has been rolled in the mud."
Song legacy
About the song featured in 'Dil Se'
The song, featured in the 1998 film Dil Se, was sung by Sukhwinder Singh and Sapna Awasthi. Despite being decades old, the track continues to be loved by audiences worldwide. It is a major reason behind Arora's success in the entertainment industry. After this song, Arora appeared in several hits such as Munni Badnam and Anarkali Disco Chali.