The beloved entertainer Yes Boss (1997), starring Shah Rukh Khan, completed 25 years on July 18. The co-screenwriter and dialogue writer of this film was the acclaimed Sanjay Chhel. He is known for writing several entertaining films over the years and has also been a director and playwright. As Yes Boss celebrated its 25th anniversary, Bollywood Hungama spoke exclusively with Sanjay Chhel about the Aziz Mirza directed movie and much more
25 Years Yes Boss EXCLUSIVE: Writer Sanjay Chhel Reveals That Naseeruddin Shah Was The Original Choice For The Boss Role; also says: “Shah Rukh Khan gave me confidence”
Yes Boss was one of your earlier works and it was released after your movies like Pehla Nasha (1993), rangeela (1995), Halo (1996)…
rangeela was released first, but work on Yes Boss had started for that. The shooting of both films had started simultaneously. It was 1994 and I was writing for series like Filmi Chakkar and Naya Nukkad. This is when I met Aziz Mirza. I also knew Shah Rukh Khan because I was familiar with those who worked on his TV show ‘Circus’. Aziz has an idea for Yes Boss and we developed it. Scripting work took about a year. Shooting didn’t start until 1995. Work on rangeela had started then. However, it was first released while Yes Boss took time to make.
Were Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla the original picks?
Yes. Naseeruddin Shah was originally offered the role of the boss. I can’t remember exactly, but he didn’t feel comfortable because he thought he was a bit old for the character. He also had some reservations about the script. Then we thought of Jackie Shroff or Aditya Pancholi. Finally, Aditya took the part as appropriate. And it turned out to be a good casting.
One of the funniest scenes in the movie is when Shah Rukh Khan and Ashok Saraf take a bath together in a bathtub and sing ‘Muqala Muqabla’ from Humse Hai Muqablah (1994)! Was the scene part of the script or did you process it spontaneously on the sets?
It was written on paper. But we improvised it. Shah Rukh, Aziz Mirza and I had great chemistry. We knew each other before Yes Boss. We were on the same wavelength and that’s why we made movies very comfortably. We are open to discussions and improvisations on the sets. Hence, Yes Boss was one of my best experiences. Aziz Mirza is a person who makes everyone very comfortable. He took all my ideas and guided me. As for Shah Rukh, he gave me confidence. agar last minute pe koi Modify Yes improvisation karna haihe would be a game.
You used to be on the sets, is that right?
I’ve always been on the sets of most of the movies I wrote. I have a strong feeling that if I’m not there during the shoot and if the creators change my dialogue, it could hurt my work and my track record. In addition, I write romantic comedies and light films, where there is a lot of room for improvisation. I don’t believe in the concept of a tethered script. Of course there must be a bound script. But it shouldn’t be like a corpse. Shooting is not like an autopsy! We’re creating something and that’s why the script has to be alive.
I remember there was a karwa chauth scene in the movie. Shah Rukh and Juhi’s characters fought and then came home. Aziz Mirza told me to add a line in that scene for technical reasons. I proposed, chalo rasmein poori kar lein. That line wasn’t there in the script, but the moment was very quiet. That’s why Aziz wanted a dialogue. And that one line lit up the scene.
Another memorable scene is where Shah Rukh Khan wears the bracelet on his ear, puts a bindi under his eyes and paints his nose with the sindoor. Can you tell us about this scene? It was a very unconventional scene and also a risky one, especially for a superstar…
Yes, I agree. It was risky. But it was Shah Rukh’s idea. He wanted a lead role for the song ‘Chudi Baji Hai’. So he suggested that he apply bindi and sindoor and wear the bracelet. We were all a bit skeptical, to be honest. But it was his belief and he carried it through.
Also Read: Video of Shah Rukh Khan in a red jacket for the Dunki shoot in London goes viral; fans compare it to Dil Se .’s ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’
More pages: Yes Boss Box Office Collection
BOLLYWOOD NEWS – LIVE UPDATES
Catch us up on latest Bollywood News, New Bollywood Movie Update, Box Office Collection, New Movies Release, Bollywood News Hindi, Entertainment News, Bollywood Live News Today and Upcoming Movies 2022 and keep up to date with latest hindi movies only on Bollywood Hungama.