Himani Shivpuri, celebrated for her memorable performances in Hindi cinema and television, including her role as Kammo Bua in the iconic film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), recently shared a poignant recollection of her time working on the movie. In a recent interview, Shivpuri revealed the heartbreaking reason behind her absence from the film's iconic climax scene.
During the filming of DDLJ, a personal tragedy struck Shivpuri when her husband passed away. "I was shooting for DDLJ when my husband passed away," Shivpuri revealed. The actress, who played Kajol's on-screen aunt, Kammo Bua, was in the midst of filming when she received the devastating news.
Understandably, the tragedy took an immense toll on her. "There was a climax scene, I believe. I don't remember anything about the climax scene. I just knew that my husband had died, and I was all alone in this new city. We didn't know anyone," she recounted. The DDLJ team, including Farida Jalal, extended their support during this difficult time. Jalal informed Yash Chopra about Shivpuri's situation.
Shivpuri recalled receiving a call from Yash Raj Productions, where Yash Chopra expressed his understanding and excused her from the climax shooting. "I didn't even remember that I had to go there after two days for the Panvel shooting of the climax. I got a call from Yash Raj Productions, and Yash ji said, 'I understand that this has happened, and we know that you cannot come'," she shared.
The actress had to decline the climax scene to attend to her husband's final rites, while her son was studying in Dehradun. "They had a shooting in two days, and everybody's dates were there. So they had to shoot it. I am the only one who is not there in the climax. Everyone is there. Each and every character is there. Except me, everyone is there," Shivpuri explained.
Despite the personal setback, Shivpuri demonstrated remarkable resilience, returning to work shortly after her loss. Driven by the responsibility of her household and raising her son, she found solace and strength in her work. "God was kind. With God and my parents' blessings, I was fortunate to do films like Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, which became a big hit. Then DDLJ also became another hit, and I was already shooting for Pardes. Work kept on coming," she said.
In related news, Satish Shah, another actor from DDLJ, who played Ajit Singh, recently passed away at the age of 74 due to kidney-related issues. Kajol expressed her grief over the demise of her co-star. Several other DDLJ cast members have also passed away, including Amrish Puri (Chaudhary Baldev Singh) in 2005 and Achala Sachdev (Grandmother) in 2012.
