Sonali Bendre says 'Sarfarosh' would have been 'documentary' without her
Actor Sonali Bendre recently reflected on her role in the 1999 action-thriller Sarfarosh, during a conversation for Mid-Day's The Bombay Film Podcast. The film, directed by John Matthew Matthan and co-starring Aamir Khan and Naseeruddin Shah, celebrated its 25th anniversary in April. Bendre fondly remembered her character as the comic relief in the film, with her popular line "Don't mind, don't mind" still resonating with audiences today.
Bendre discussed origin of famous line and role's importance
Bendre shared the backstory of her aforementioned famous line, stating that director Matthan wanted something memorable. She tried out a few options before settling on this one. "I remember telling John, I'm your comic relief in the film." The actor also emphasized the significance of her character in Sarfarosh, saying that without her role, the film would have been different. "If you take me out and that relationship out, it's a documentary."
Bendre also recalled director's secrecy and her curiosity
Bendre also shared an intriguing anecdote about director Matthan not revealing the entire plot to her initially, a common practice at the time. She recalled asking him about Shah's possible character development, to which he responded, "Oh my God, you're too smart for this." He said, "I'm not going to tell you because I don't want the hook to be stolen. And that's the plot twist in the film and I'm not going to tell."
Earlier, Khan hinted at the film's re-release
Earlier, in May, Khan told Free Press Journal, "It's an important film for our country." "It has been an important film for the cops as well. I recall many cops who met me after the film and even now, when cops come up to me...they compliment me on the realism in the film." "If we put it back in theaters, people would come and see it all over again, and new audiences could discover it too.
