Overview

• Santosh Sivan first urged Khalid Mohamed to helm the film, with Karisma Kapoor later backing the decision after plans with Ram Gopal Varma fell through.
• Early production ran on loans raised by co-producer Pradeep Guha and Mohamed, forcing workarounds on sets and scale.
• Hrithik Roshan’s breakout with Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai unlocked fresh funding, allowing a month of location shooting in Udaipur and shifting Sushmita Sen’s “Mast Mahaul” to Rajasthan.
• Mohamed credits the music as pivotal, citing Anu Malick’s score, A. R. Rahman composing “Piya Haji Ali” for free, and Gulzar’s lyrics enhancing “Aaja Mahiya.”
• Actor Shabana Raza Bajpayee recalls lobbying for more scenes, filming “Aaja Mahiya” over three days across Mumbai with choreographer Farah Khan, learning from Jaya Bachchan, and noting Manoj Bajpayee’s brief but memorable turn.