Sadhana, in a throwback interview, recalled how director Raj Khosla throw a live snake at her for a scene in Ek Musafir Ek Haseena (1962).
Raj Khosla was celebrated as one of Hindi cinema’s most brilliant filmmakers. As a director, he could draw raw, visceral performances from his actors. Yet his pursuit of authenticity often came with unconventional methods that tested the limits of his stars.
In a throwback interview with Star & Style magazine, Sadhana recounted an interesting anecdote from the sets of the 1962 romantic thriller Ek Musafir Ek Hasina, in which she shared screen space with Joy Mukherjee.
One scene in the film required Sadhana and her co-star Joy to hide from invaders in a pit. As part of the sequence, a snake was meant to crawl up her leg while she stayed silent, so the enemies wouldn’t hear her scream.
For Sadhana, who admitted snakes were her greatest fear, the idea was terrifying.
When director Raj Khosla explained the scene, the actress asked for a day to prepare herself mentally. Instead, he tried what he called “shock therapy” — he threw the snake at her without warning.
Sadhana admitted that she was horrified. She broke down, crying hysterically for two hours, and the shoot had to be stopped.
The next day, Khosla apologized and offered to change the script. But Sadhana, now determined to overcome her fear, surprised everyone. She told him there was no need to alter the scene as she was ready to face the snake.
Loosely inspired by the Hollywood film, Random Harvest, Ek Musafir Ek Hasina follows Ajay Mehra (Joy Mukherjee), an army officer who loses his memory in Kashmir and finds love with Asha (Sadhana).
The film marked the beginning of Sadhana’s creative partnership with director Raj Khosla. Riding on the success of Ek Musafir Ek Hasina, the actress–director duo went on to deliver a string of unforgettable hits — Woh Kaun Thi? (1964), Mera Saaya (1966), and Anita (1967).
