Published: 10:42 AM, 06 September 2026
Dimple Kapadia on saying 'yes' to 'Dil Chahta Hai’
As Farhan Akhtar’s directorial debut “Dil Chahta Hai” marks 25 years, the cast and creators have been revisiting memories from the film.
Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Farhan Akhtar, along with Sonali Kulkarni, Dimple Kapadia and producer Ritesh Sidhwani, took part in a special conversation in Mumbai, recalling anecdotes from the making of the film, NDTV reports.
During the event, Dimple joked about what persuaded her to say yes to a film centred largely on male friendship.
“I absolutely fell in love with the story. I thought it was brilliant. And it was flattering to my ego that a younger guy is in love with me,” she said.
“But I don’t recommend it at all,” she added, drawing laughter from the audience.
Dimple then recalled that she had initially tried to avoid taking on the role.
“As you can see, Sid [Akshaye Khanna] has not come back. He has left me. But the character was brilliant and slightly difficult for me,” she said.
“Knowing me, I was trying to run away to the other side. And I was busy recommending other heroines. Guts hi nahi the ke ye role kar payenge. I didn’t have the guts to play the role. But thank God, better sense prevailed. God is kind.”
In the film, Akshaye Khanna’s character Sid falls in love with Dimple’s character Tara, who is considerably older than him.
Released in 2001, “Dil Chahta Hai” was widely seen as a turning point in mainstream Hindi cinema.
The film offered a more contemporary portrayal of friendship, relationships and urban life, and went on to become a touchstone for a generation of young viewers navigating adulthood, careers and love.
