EXCLUSIVE: Farhan Akhtar opens up about why he had to shoot Lakshya's climax scene TWICE

In an exclusive Pinkvilla Masterclass with Himesh Mankad, Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani spoke about when they had to shoot a scene in Lakshya's climax, twice.

By Rishil Jogani

Published on Jun 21, 2024 | 03:02 PM IST | 220.9K

Farhan Akhtar shares that he had to reshoot a scene part of Lakshya's climax, twice (Credit: Excel Entertainment)

Farhan Akhtar is a prolific filmmaker who has helmed memorable films like Dil Chahta Hai and Don. His movie Lakshya has been an inspiration to an entire generation. Farhan, along with his producer friend Ritesh Sidhwani, graced Pinkvilla's exclusive Masterclass celebrating 20 years of Lakshya. The duo shared a lot of fun and interesting stories from the filming of their memorable army-based movie. They went on to share about the reshoot of a portion from the film's climax. Later, Farhan also opened up about why Lakshya cannot be made in a backdrop other than the army backdrop.

Farhan Akhtar And Ritesh Sidhwani Recall Reshooting A Portion From Lakshya's Climax Again

In the exclusive Pinkvilla Masterclass celebrating 20 years of the release of Lakshya, Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani recalled the time when they had to reshoot a portion from Lakshya's climax again. Farhan said, "That sequence (the flag hoisting scene in the climax) is shot at a place called Wari La pass which is roughly 17800 feet above sea level. It was four hours away from Leh. Everyone had to wake up early and leave the hotel at 12:30-1 in the morning because we had to get sunrise. We reached there and set everything up. We only get that one sunrise. You cannot get a retake on a sunrise. So everything was set up, three-four cameras were set up, Hrithik was ready to go and we shot the sequence."

He continued, "That time, there was no digital so the film was shot on stock. The stock was sent to Prasad labs in Bombay. They checked everything and we got a report after 5 to 6 days saying that we have to reshoot the sequence that we shot there because all the shots are out of focus. They sent us the footage. Everything was so hazy. It seemed like Hrithik was coming out of the fog. Everybody was so sad. None of us was prepared for it. Shoot ka Lakshya off ho gaya tha (The shoot's focus went off)". Ritesh Sidhwani said that of the 149 days that they shot for the film, only this specific scene was the one that they had to reshoot.

Farhan felt that it was destiny that they got to shoot the shot again as he said, "The beauty of going back was that we got such a better day, that you see now. When we initially shot it, it was an overcast morning and it all looked so dull. When we shot it again, we got him (Hrithik Roshan) walking from the shadow towards the light."

Watch Pinkvilla's Masterclass featuring Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani

Farhan Akhtar Says Why Karan Shergill's Story Suited Best With The Indian Armed Forces

Farhan Akhtar was then asked if he could reimagine Lakshya in a different backdrop since the film is essentially a coming of age story of a 24 year old boy. To this, the ace filmmaker said, "A coming of age story can be made in any backdrop. But Karan Shergill's story had to be made with the Indian Armed Forces. For him to be challenged to the point that you have to make the ultimate sacrifice; You are that focused that you have gone from a place where you had no purpose to having such a strong purpose that you are willing to sacrifice your life."

Lakshya Keeps Wooing Audiences After 20 Years

Lakshya has completed 20 glorious years and still continues to woo audiences. The movie has re-released in select theatres across India. Have you watched Lakshya at a theatre near you again?

ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Farhan Akhtar confirms about making another Indian Army film, 20 years after the release of Lakshya