Soha Ali Khan reveals why Rang De Basanti cast returned their fees amid doubts about film’s success

Soha Ali Khan reflects on initial doubts from producers, who even requested cast paybacks, unaware of the film's future success that transformed her career.

Rang De Basanti, featuring Soha Ali Khan, Aamir Khan, Kunal Kapoor, and others, remains one of the most beloved films even today. Released in 2006, the film became a cultural phenomenon, and nearly two decades later, many still believe it’s the kind of cinematic masterpiece that’s difficult to replicate. However, at the time of its release, the film’s success was far from guaranteed.

Reflecting on Rang De Basanti's 2006 release, Soha Ali Khan recounted the producers' concerns, asking for paybacks amid fears of failure. (Instagram)

Soha reveals about Rang De experience

In a recent interview with Zoom, Soha Ali Khan reflected on the uncertainty surrounding the film during its early days. She revealed that the producers were so unsure of the movie's prospects that they actually asked the cast to return some of their pay.

"Nobody anticipated it making the kind of money it did or touching people the way that it did. In fact, when we were promoting the film, the producers called and said, ‘Can you return some of the money we’ve given you? Because we’re not sure this film is going to do well.’ All of us gave money back. We were like, ‘Okay, maybe, sure.’ But that film became a movement. And for me, it was a turning point in my career, something that will always stand out in my journey," Soha recalled.

Speaking about her experience working on the film, Soha shared, “We shot for about a year, travelling across India-- Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi, Mumbai. It was a very close-knit crew and cast. We would often wait for hours on set as Binod Pradhan, our cinematographer, took his time, rightly so, to light each shot. Sometimes it took half a day. So we spent a lot of time together. Friendships were formed, and at the time we thought, ‘We’ll be friends forever.’ But now it feels like we haven’t spoken in a lifetime, something I’ve realised just happens over time.”

About Soha's latest work

Most recently, Soha appeared in Chhorii 2, a horror thriller directed by Vishal Furia, alongside Nushrratt Bharuccha, Gashmeer Mahajani, and Jitendra Kumar. The film, streaming on Amazon Prime Video, is a sequel to Chhorii and an adaptation of Furia’s 2017 Marathi film Lapachhapi. Chhorii marked Soha’s return to acting after a seven-year hiatus, following her last appearance in Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3 in 2018.