The 2005 song Kajra Re from Bunty Aur Babli remains a cultural touchstone, remembered not just for its infectious music and dazzling choreography, but also for the star-studded trio it brought together on screen—Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, and Aishwarya Rai. While the final result lit up screens and captured hearts, what happened behind the scenes tells a more layered story.
In a recent interview, choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant, who helmed the choreography for the song, opened up about the emotions running high on set during the shoot. Despite being a seasoned performer, Abhishek Bachchan felt unusually anxious about filming Kajra Re, largely because it involved sharing screen space in a dance number with his father. “Abhishek was quite nervous. But I told him not to worry, and that I’d balance it out well. When Mr. Bachchan is on set, he’s not a father. There are no personal equations coming in the way. He’s a thorough professional. He’d remain in character. He’d even appreciate the costume designer for giving nice costumes to the back dancers. Meanwhile, Abhishek is a different temperament on set. He’s all about fun and pranks,” Vaibhavi recalled in her conversation with Screen.
Alongside Abhishek’s nervous energy, Aishwarya Rai herself wasn’t entirely confident about the song’s demands. Though celebrated for her elegance and classical poise, she found Kajra Re to be uncharted territory. “This is my story with a lot of actors, who start out as friends and turn into lovers on my set. I’m happy these divine interventions do happen, and I get to be a part of them. Sometimes, I could even write a book on this (laughs). But obviously, nobody thought of it then. I never imagined this as the outcome of that moment. They were all thorough professionals,” Vaibhavi shared.
The choreographer’s professional rapport with Aishwarya stretched back to earlier collaborations in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Kuch Naa Kaho, and Kyun! Ho Gaya Naa. But Kajra Re, in many ways, stood out—not only for its style and success but also as the spark of something more personal that would later unfold between the actors.
