Farhan Akhtar recently recounted a nerve-wracking incident from the early days of his career, involving the legendary actress Sridevi, on India TV's show "Aap Ki Adalat". Akhtar, now a celebrated actor and filmmaker, was then a young assistant cameraman working on Yash Chopra's iconic film "Lamhe" (1991). He shared how a seemingly minor mishap on set led him to believe his career was over before it had even begun.

The incident occurred during the filming of a dance sequence choreographed by Saroj Khan. Sridevi was to express anger and pain through dance after hearing bad news in the scene. As Sridevi rehearsed, the chief cameraman, Manmohan Singh, noticed a stain on the wooden floor. He instructed someone to clean it, and Farhan, being the closest, rushed to wipe it off.

In his haste to fix the issue, Akhtar didn't see Sridevi approaching. "I was bent down, cleaning the stain and coordinating with Man ji when she walked over, slipped, and fell," Farhan explained. He vividly recalled the moment, describing it as happening in slow motion: "Sridevi flying in the air and hitting the floor". The set fell into complete silence. A 17-year-old Akhtar was convinced his mistake had ended his career. "The entire set froze. I thought, This is it, my career is over," he said.

Akhtar, when asked by Rajat Sharma on "Aap Ki Adalat" about the incident, exclaimed, "Main kaun hota hoon Sridevi ko girane wala! (Who am I to make her fall?)". He humorously clarified that it was an accident and that he would never dream of causing harm to the esteemed actress.

To his surprise and relief, Sridevi immediately started laughing. Seeing her reaction, the tension broke, and everyone else joined in the laughter. "She just smiled and said, 'It's okay, it happens.' Everyone followed her lead and started laughing. That's when I finally breathed again," Akhtar recounted. He expressed immense gratitude to Sridevi for her graciousness and good humor, acknowledging that her reaction saved him from what he perceived as a career-ending disaster. "It is because of Srideviji that I am sitting here today in Aap Ki Adalat," he said.

Farhan has previously spoken about this incident, emphasizing the "incredible magic" Sridevi created on screen. News of Sridevi's death in 2018 deeply saddened Akhtar, along with other members of the Indian film industry.

Farhan Akhtar's upcoming war drama, "120 Bahadur," is scheduled to release in theaters on November 21, 2025.