Satish Shah once found iconic 'Main Hoon Na' role 'disgusting'
What's the story
The film industry is mourning the loss of veteran actor Satish Shah (74), who passed away on Saturday from kidney failure. The actor, who had a career spanning over 50 years and was known for his comic timing, had once refused to play the memorable role in Main Hoon Na because he found it "disgusting." However, he eventually agreed after being convinced by Shah Rukh Khan and director Farah Khan. Here's what happened.
Role details
'Yeh kya galeech role hai'
In the film, Shah played Professor Madhav Rasai, a character with an unusual habit of spitting while talking. In an old interview with Bollywood Bubble, Shah had shared how Khan had persuaded him to take up this unconventional role. "Maine kaha yeh kya galeech role hai (I said what a disgusting role)? Main toh principal ka role karunga (I will play the principal)," he had said.
Convincing tactics
How SRK persuaded Shah
Shah revealed, "Shah Rukh is a very smart guy... woh bola 'Satish bhai aise role toh apne kai kiye hain aur koi bhi kar sakta hai (Shah Rukh is a smart fellow, he told me you have played many such characters, and anyone can do these roles)." "I think you should do this role (of Professor Rasai) because we can't think of anybody else doing it."
Filming challenges
Shah referred to himself as the 'spitting cobra'
Shah humorously referred to himself as the "spitting cobra" because of his role. He explained how he had to spit on Khan during a classroom scene. "I used to take in a gulp of water and keep it around my mouth, and I used to accentuate certain words and syllables in a way that it comes out like a spray."
Patience tested
Khan laughed every time Shah spat on him
Despite the difficulty of spitting on a superstar's face, Khan made it harder by laughing every time Shah did it. "I used to work so hard on it, but Shah Rukh would laugh so we would have a retake," he recalled. "So once we had 8 retakes, and then I got upset. I said I'll not do it after this." The film also starred Sushmita Sen, Boman Irani, Zayed Khan, Amrita Rao, and Suniel Shetty.