Even twenty years on, Main Hoon Na continues to captivate audiences—but it’s not just the love story or the action that lingers. One look at Sushmita Sen in that iconic red saree, her hair caught mid-air in a gentle breeze, and it’s impossible not to smile. Chandni’s elegance, grace, and effortless charm have become emblematic of a certain era of Bollywood glamour. But as Sushmita recently revealed, creating that magic was far from effortless.
“The saree was freezing every single day,” she laughs, recalling the challenging shoots. Farah Khan, ever the perfectionist, insisted on a storm fan to ensure Chandni’s hair was always in motion—whether she was standing in a classroom, weeping, or caught in the rain. “It was non-negotiable,” Sushmita says. The result, scenes that looked poetic and natural, but were technically a feat of endurance and style.
Adding to the sartorial challenge, Sushmita initially wasn’t thrilled about wearing a saree throughout the entire film. “I begged Farah, ‘Please, I want fifty different costumes! It’s my first film with SRK!’” But Farah’s vision was clear: Chandni’s saree was her signature, a uniform of elegance that would define her character.
And it wasn’t just the saree itself—it was the way it was draped. On Sushmita’s first day in red, Farah critiqued the pallu and had it tied lower, creating the perfect flow for the iconic classroom entrance. “I was worried the whole time it would slip!” Sushmita recalls with a chuckle. That long, sweeping pallu went on to become part of one of Bollywood’s most playful on-screen moments, brushing SRK’s face in a spontaneous, yet utterly cinematic gesture that captured the chemistry between Chandni and Ram.
Behind every frame of Chandni was a meticulous dedication to detail—wind, pallu, costume, and expression—all orchestrated to perfection. Sushmita credits Farah Khan’s exacting standards for ensuring that every moment Chandni appeared on screen made a lasting impression. “Though my role wasn’t huge, Farah made sure Chandni made an impact every single time,” she reflects.
Two decades later, Chandni remains a style icon in Bollywood lore: the red saree, the effortless poise, the hair dancing in the wind. It’s a testament not just to Sushmita Sen’s grace, but to the behind-the-scenes artistry that turned a classroom scene into cinematic history.
