Veteran Bollywood actress Himani Shivpuri, renowned for her iconic roles in Hindi cinema and television, recently opened up about her absence from the climactic scene of the legendary film *Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge* (DDLJ). Shivpuri, who played Kajol’s on-screen aunt in the movie, shared the poignant reason behind her non-participation in the finale.
During the filming of *DDLJ*, Shivpuri faced a personal tragedy—the sudden demise of her husband. Recounting the events, she revealed, ‘My husband had passed away, and I was alone in a new city with no one to turn to. The *DDLJ* team was informed, and Farida ji (Farida Jalal) visited me. She must have conveyed the news to Mr. Chopra (Yash Chopra). I was in no state to remember the scheduled shooting for the climax in Panvel.’
Shivpuri received a compassionate call from Yash Raj Productions, where Yash Chopra himself expressed understanding and excused her from the shoot. ‘Yash ji said, ‘We know you cannot come,’ she recalled. With her son still studying in Dehradun, Shivpuri prioritized her husband’s final rites over the film’s shooting schedule.
The actress acknowledged that the team had to proceed without her due to the fixed dates of other cast members. ‘Everyone is in the climax… except me,’ she added. Despite this personal setback, Shivpuri returned to work soon after, driven by her responsibilities as a single mother.
Reflecting on her career, Shivpuri expressed gratitude for the opportunities that followed. ‘God was kind. Films like *Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!* and *DDLJ* became massive hits, and I was already working on *Pardes*. Work kept coming, and I never had to seek it out,’ she shared. The actress even humorously noted that director David Dhawan once remarked, ‘Films don’t work if you are not in them.’
Released in 1995, *DDLJ* remains one of Bollywood’s most celebrated films, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Amrish Puri, Farida Jalal, Anupam Kher, and Mandira Bedi, among others. Directed by Aditya Chopra, the movie continues to hold a special place in Indian cinema history.