In the modern era of Bollywood, film production is often a calculated game of spreadsheets, risk assessments, and meticulous financial planning. However, filmmaker Nikkhil Advani recently took a trip down memory lane to a time when passion overrode arithmetic. In a candid revelation, Advani recalled how the initial budget for Karan Johar’s 2001 family epic Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (K3G) was entirely exhausted on just one sequence: the legendary song “Bole Chudiyan.”
A Budget Written on Paper, Torn by Passion
Nikkhil Advani, who served as an assistant director on K3G before making his directorial debut with Kal Ho Naa Ho, shared an extraordinary anecdote involving the late producer Yash Johar. Speaking to Radio Nasha, Advani explained that in the early 2000s, the process of greenlighting a film was far more instinctive than it is today.
When Karan Johar and Advani first narrated the script to Yash Johar, the legendary producer asked Advani to draft a budget. “I wrote Rs 3 crore,” Advani admitted. At the time, that figure was approved, and the team was given the go-ahead to begin production. Little did they know that their grand vision would quickly outpace their financial projections.
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Chaos on the Set of ‘Bole Chudiyan’
The scale of K3G was unprecedented. The production kicked off with “Bole Chudiyan,” a song that remains a staple at Indian weddings even today. However, the filming was anything but smooth. Advani described a set defined by “complete chaos.”
The production featured 200 dancers and 300 junior artistes. Karan Johar’s pursuit of grandeur led the team to manufacture custom jhoomars (chandeliers) to achieve a specific aesthetic. The pressure was so intense that Karan Johar famously fainted on the set, and Kajol faced significant hurdles with her heavy lehenga, which made dancing nearly impossible.
Yash Johar’s Ultimate Producer Move
As the filming for the song concluded, Yash Johar called a meeting that would become a defining moment in Dharma Productions’ history. During a chai break, Yash ji asked Advani if they had made a budget for the film. When Advani reminded him of the Rs 3 crore figure, the veteran producer pulled out the original piece of paper.
“The set you’ve created has already cost more than that,” Yash Johar told them. In a move that exemplified his legendary commitment to cinema, he tore the paper in front of them and said, “Now, you make the film!”
This gesture effectively gave the directors a blank check to fulfill their creative vision, moving beyond the constraints of the initial Rs 3 crore estimate to create one of the most expensive and visually stunning films of its time.
The Vanishing ‘Nasha’ of Filmmaking
Advani’s reflections weren’t just about the money; they were about a lost era of filmmaking. He noted that today’s industry is consumed by box office numbers and corporate spreadsheets. “Earlier, there was a nasha (intoxication) to make movies,” Advani remarked. He recalled how Yash Johar was once prepared to sell his house to fund his films, and how even legends like Yash Chopra faced a string of flops before finding redemption with Chandni.
Advani expressed a deep longing for the “madness” that once defined Bollywood sets. He suggested that the only people who might still carry that torch are Karan Johar and Aditya Chopra, though he believes even they likely miss the unbridled passion of that bygone era.
A Legacy of Grandeur
While Yash Johar was a businessman, Advani emphasized that he was a producer who understood the soul of cinema. He never said no to the demands of the script—whether it was 400 junior artistes or extravagant sets—provided there was a creative reason for them.
Today, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is remembered as a milestone in Indian pop culture. The story of “Bole Chudiyan” consuming the film’s entire initial budget serves as a testament to the fact that some of the greatest moments in cinema aren’t created by following a spreadsheet, but by tearing one up in the pursuit of greatness.