Neena Gupta opened up about her anger over Subhash Ghai’s bold costume demand during the filming of Khalnayak’s iconic track ‘Choli Ke Peeche’.
Neena Gupta, who featured in the iconic dance number ‘Choli Ke Peeche’ alongside Madhuri Dixit, recently revisited a moment from the set that left her both angry and reflective. The incident involved the film’s director Subhash Ghai suggesting that she wear a padded bra for the raunchy song.
While speaking with journalist Shubhankar Mishra on his podcast, when the actress revealed, “He told the costume designer this won’t work, change and bring.” On being asked if she had felt uncomfortable, she recalled, “At that time, I felt very angry, and thought, how can he say something like that? So crass.”
The actress said that she was new to the industry and found the remark unsettling.
However, she also added that years later, she now sees the moment differently.
She explained that Ghai had a specific image in mind for the character and was simply communicating it to the costume designer. “I was new. But now I feel he was just doing his job. He had a certain image in mind for the character in the song, and he expressed it plainly. He didn’t stare at me, but I was new then- today I understand it differently.”
Neena admitted that though the suggestion troubled her for a while, the beauty and success of the song eventually overshadowed the discomfort. “It did trouble me for some time, but then the song was so beautiful. I forgot about it,” she candidly shared.
Despite the behind‑the‑scenes tension, ‘Choli Ke Peeche’ remains one of Bollywood’s most iconic dance numbers, remembered for its boldness and infectious energy. When Khalnayak released in 1993, the track created a nationwide stir for its provocative lyrics. Later, Subhash Ghai clarified that he had conceived it as a folk song presented in an artistic way.
