Farhan Akhtar marks 25th anniversary of Dil Chahta Hai

Director Farhan Akhtar is marking the 25th anniversary of his debut film, Dil Chahta Hai, by sharing behind-the-scenes insights and personal storyboards. Akhtar recently posted hand-drawn sketches of characters from the film on social media, noting that these illustrations were created long before the availability of modern AI or affordable design software.

In recent interviews, Akhtar also recounted a period during pre-production when Saif Ali Khan nearly left the project due to scheduling conflicts with another film. Akhtar emphasized that he felt there was “nobody else who could’ve played that part” and was determined to keep the actor in the role.

During these discussions, Akhtar remarked that such scheduling issues “seem like it’s becoming a pattern these days,” a comment that has sparked speculation among audiences regarding potential indirect references to recent industry controversies, though he did not name any specific individuals.