As Mohabbatein marks 25 years since its release, actor Preeti Jhangiani fondly revisits the film that turned her into a household name. The Yash Raj romantic drama, directed by Aditya Chopra and headlined by Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, remains one of the most beloved love stories of its era, and for Preeti, the experience was nothing short of transformative. “When we actually heard the narration from Adi (Aditya), it was a four-hour narration with the entire cast together,” recalls Preeti. “That’s when I knew it was something special. It was absolutely enthralling, imagine sitting for four hours, listening to someone narrate a story, and being completely engrossed at that age when you’re young and restless. We didn’t imagine it would become such a huge hit, but the energy was unmistakable.”
Preeti played the role of Kiran in the film shares how she had to put a lot of effort into preparing for the film even before shooting began. “Among the cast, I was the first star to get finalised for the film. There were eight months of intensive training for everything related to cinema. For me, it was also about learning Indian classical dance,” she shares. “I was born and brought up in Mumbai, and I had never trained to become an actor or in any dance form. Adi told me that when my character enters the frame, it should feel like ‘the dancer has arrived’. That meant I had to carry that poise and grace in every move, and that took serious training.”
She further adds, “Every morning at 6 a.m., I’d train with my dance master. Then, at 10 a.m., Aashish Mansukhani, who was assisting at that time, would come and shoot me daily to track my progress. After that, I would train with (filmmaker) Karan Johar, who taught me how to perform to different types of Hindi film songs. Later in the day, Jimmy Shergill and I would work with Adi on our scenes. Finally, we’d go to Juhu to rehearse with Farah Khan and her assistants for the classical dance sequences. This went on for eight months before filming even started!”
All that hard work paid off, because by the time shooting began, the young cast was fully ready. The movie saw stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan in lead roles. The 45-year-old recalls working with the two stars and shares, “Everyone asks if we were in awe of SRK and Big B, and of course we were. But we were also so well-prepared. We knew exactly where to stand, how to move, and what was expected of us. Even our costumes had been through ten rounds of trials! Everything was meticulously planned.”
The actor adds, how Amitabh Bachchan, always sat with the young lot and told the makers also to not make him sit with the ‘oldies’. “Even though I didn’t have too many scenes with him, we did have a last dance number. But working with Amit sir is a treat. He is extremely funny, and easy to work with. I remember him being very, humorous and always saying he didn’t want to sit with the oldies,” Preeti laughs, adding, “He would tell us, ‘Don’t make me sit with them, I want to sit with the young guys! What are you all talking about? Let me sit here!’” Beyond his warmth and humor, what struck her most about Mr Bachchan, was his command over language, “One thing you immediately notice when you speak to him is his command over both Hindi and English, it’s absolutely amazing.”
Talking about the cultural impact of Mohabbatein and its portrayal of love, Preeti shares how now years down the lane she has someone who did write a love letter to her, while proposing to her. “The movie gave a whole new definition to love, the idea of love letters, discovering love, and expressing it fearlessly. Even now, wherever I go, people remember me as ‘Kiran’. That’s such a rare blessing, to have your first film create such a lasting identity.” When asked if she ever wrote love letters herself, Preeti laughs, “No, I haven’t! But my husband (Parvin Dabas) writes beautifully. In fact, when he proposed to me, he wrote a lovely poem. I still have it rolled up, it’s one of my most treasured keepsakes.”
Reflecting on the changes in the film industry over the past 25 years, she notes, “The industry has evolved massively. It’s more professional now. Back in our time, we often got dialogues or scenes on the set itself, but that doesn’t happen anymore. Today, there’s more structure, rehearsals, and professionalism. Still, the atmosphere depends a lot on the director, they set the tone for the entire team.” Over the years, Preeti has been selective in the kind of projects and roles she wants to be associated with. The 45-yhear-old admits that early in her career, she didn’t plan much, but as she worked her way in the industry, she has become choosy.
“Initially, I wasn’t sure if I’d even continue acting. It wasn’t something I’d trained for or dreamed of. Everything just happened naturally,” she explains. “But once I realized this was what I wanted to do, I became very particular about the kind of roles I took on. I’ve always been critical of myself on screen and want to constantly improve. Now, with so much else on my plate, I’d only take up a film if it truly excites mem,” says Preeti.
