When Akshaye Khanna slapped Aamir Khan 17 times on Dil Chahta Hai sets

It has been 25 years since Dil Chahta Hai, and during a recent interaction where the cast and makers reunited, Aamir Khan revealed that Akshaye Khanna slapped him 17 times for a crucial scene. The discussion around this pegged moment kicked off a larger conversation about the film's various slap sequences, including another notable one involving Suchitra Pillai and Saif Ali Khan.The film continues to resonate across generations with its timeless themes of friendship, love, and relationships.While speaking to Yuvaa, Aamir brought up the scene. Saif asked, "Was it a real slap?" Farhan Akhtar replied, "Yes, it was. I told Aamir that he is really going to slap you, and Aamir said 'cool'. But I told Akshaye that he is expecting it at the end of this line, so do it while he is saying the line – that way there's an element of surprise. It's filmmaking, it happens sometimes. That happened. Then Aamir said, let it happen because it's bringing me into a frame of mind which is helping me. He kept insisting on being slapped again and again."Aamir added, "It works, you know. Even the angle. When you actually slap someone, it works." Farhan also recalled the effect of filming the sequence, saying, "By the time we finished, I remember he had a full mark on his face. It was almost swollen on one side."The conversation about slaps began after Suchitra Pillai, who played Saif Ali Khan's onscreen girlfriend in the film, joined in. She said she is still referred to as the "Dil Chahta Hai slap girl." Recalling her own slapping scene with Saif, Pillai said, "When we were shooting that, I asked Farhan, 'It's Saif Ali Khan, come on, how do I do this? Do I do it in the theatre way?'" She said Farhan's response was clear: "No, go ahead and slap him." Pillai said she ended up slapping Saif thrice.Suchitra also recalled a later encounter with Saif Ali Khan's mother, veteran actor Sharmila Tagore, whom she told about slapping her son on screen. Sharmila's cheeky response was, "I hope it was a hard one." Beyond the lead trio, the classic ensemble of the film also featured actors Preity Zinta, Ayub Khan, and Rajat Kapoor.Dil Chahta Hai was Farhan Akhtar's directorial debut. The film won a National Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.Aamir has been balancing his acting career along with his production company. His banner, Aamir Khan Productions, recently backed Batwara 1947, featuring actors Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi, Karan Deol and Ali Fazal in key roles.Meanwhile, Saif will next be seen in director Priyadarshan's psychological thriller, Haiwaan, featuring actors Akshay Kumar, Saiyami Kher, Shriya Pilgaonkar and Boman Irani in crucial roles.- EndsPublished By: Anurag BohraPublished On: Sep 4, 2026 16:49 IST