Farah Khan, apart from being an acclaimed filmmaker, is also an incredible dancer and choreographer. Among the many songs she has choreographed, Chaiyya Chaiyya from Dil Se remains an iconic song. In an interview, Khan revealed that actresses Raveena Tandon and Shilpa Shetty rejected performing in the song.
In the peppy track Chaiyya Chaiyya from the movie Dil Se, Malaika Arora danced with Shah Rukh Khan on a moving train. It was something that wasn’t ever attempted by anyone. But before Malaika agreed to perform in the song, multiple actresses were approached. Even stars like Raveena Tandon and Shilpa Shetty rejected the offer, revealed Farah Khan during an event. Everyone had refused to do that song, said Khan. She also shared how Malaika was finally brought on board, revealing that Malaika was her first child and that they had approached other heroines before her.
In an earlier interview with IANS, Khan said that everyone says that she discovered Deepika Padukone. However, it was Malaika first. She recalled how Malaika was trembling on the train during the shoot of the song. “We just made her climb the train. She was trembling; literally, there was no safety, nothing. She had no makeup on, just kajal and a tattoo that Geeta (Kapur) made on her arms. And of course, Shah Rukh was there with her.”