Soha Ali Khan recently shared a surprising anecdote about the making of the iconic film Rang De Basanti. In a conversation, she revealed that the producers of the film, which went on to become a cultural phenomenon, were initially so unsure of its success that they asked the cast to return a portion of their salaries.
According to Soha, "Nobody anticipated it making the kind of money it did, or touching people the way that it did. In fact, when we were promoting the film, the producers called and said, 'Can you return some of the money we've given you? Because we're not sure this film is going to do well.' All of us gave money back. We were like, 'Okay, maybe, sure.'"
Rang De Basanti, directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, featured an ensemble cast including Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Siddharth, Atul Kulkarni, Alice Patten and Soha Ali Khan. The film revolved around a British film student who comes to India to document the story of freedom fighters and casts five young men in her film. This inspires them to fight against the corruption in their own present-day government.
Despite the initial doubts of the producers, Rang De Basanti was released globally on January 26, 2006. It broke all opening box office records in India, becoming the highest-grossing film in its opening weekend and holding the highest opening-day collections for a Hindi film. Ultimately, it became the seventh highest-grossing Hindi film of 2006. The film garnered critical acclaim, winning the National Film Award for Best Popular Film and receiving a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2007 BAFTA Awards.
The film was made on a budget of approximately ₹28 crore. Rang De Basanti went on to collect ₹96.47 crore at the worldwide box office. In India, the film collected ₹53.08 crore net.
Soha described Rang De Basanti as a turning point in her career. She fondly recalls the year-long shoot that took the cast and crew across India, creating a strong bond amongst them. She remembers travelling all over India and shooting in Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi and Mumbai.
Reflecting on the film's journey, Soha stated, "But that film became a movement. And for me, it was a turning point in my career—something that I feel will always stand out in my journey."
