The 1999 movie ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’, starring Aishwarya Rai, Ajay Devgn and Salman Khan, awed many and also shattered the box office records. The movie is still celebrated as one of the best drama genres to have come out of Bollywood.

The film, directed by veteran Sanjay Leela Bhansali, was screened at the prestigious Berlin Festival back in the day. Now, an old interview of Bhansali is doing the rounds on social media, where he expressed apprehension about Jaya Bachchan's interest in the movie.

Sanjay Leela:

“Jaya Bachchan played a pivotal role in helping the movie reach the Berlin Film Festival. She recommended the movie to the committee and spoke highly of it. However, after the preview show, she walked past me, giving a sombre smile. It left me in doubt about whether she liked the movie or not.

It was only later that I got to know that she covertly worked to help the movie reach Berlin. She got to know about my concern and called me one day. Jaya Bachchan told me it was her way of approving a movie as she opted for action rather than words.”

‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ ended up as a stepping stone for Sanjay Leela Bhansali to establish a name in the industry, as he would soon master the craft of filming drama movies unlike any of his contemporaries.