Veteran actor Aruna Irani recently revealed that she was initially hesitant to romance Govinda on screen in Haseena Maan Jaayegi. Having played his mother in several films, Aruna feared audiences would reject the sudden shift in their dynamic.In a candid chat, she opened up about why she even suggested the role be offered to someone else — and how director David Dhawan convinced her otherwise.
“In every film, I was Govinda’s mother”
Recalling her first reaction to the offer, Aruna said she was unsure whether audiences would accept her in a romantic track opposite Govinda.“I told David ji, ‘In every film, I am Govinda’s mother. That image has become so strong. If I suddenly do this romantic, flirtatious role with him, people won’t accept it. Please take someone else. I don’t want to do it,’” she shared with Radio City.The actor admitted she was genuinely apprehensive about breaking that established image.
David Dhawan insisted — and he was right
However, David Dhawan was firm in his decision.“He said, ‘No, Aruna ji, you will do it. And you’ll see how much people will love it.’”Though hesitant, Aruna decided to trust the director’s vision. “I was scared, but I gave my best. Hats off to David ji’s conception — he was absolutely right. People loved it,” she said.The film, which also starred Karisma Kapoor, Pooja Batra and Sanjay Dutt, went on to become a cult comedy, with Aruna and Govinda’s quirky romantic moments turning into one of its most memorable highlights.
“Govinda would say, ‘Do it, it will look good’”
Talking about the transition from playing his mother to flirting with him on screen, Aruna said there were initial inhibitions.“I would hesitate and think, what if people don’t accept this? But Govinda would encourage me and say, ‘Do it, it will look good.’ I would rehearse and then perform. We used to laugh like mad on set,” she recalled.She credited the team’s support and Govinda’s confidence for helping her overcome the discomfort.
“I couldn’t afford to wait for heroine roles”
Aruna also reflected on why she moved away from the conventional ‘heroine’ path early in her career.“I had so many responsibilities. I couldn’t sit and wait for a film to come so my house could run. In those days, you would do one film and that money would take care of two-three months. That’s it,” she said.With a large family to support, she chose to accept every role that came her way. “That’s why no one thought of making Aruna Irani the heroine. They would say she does small roles, she plays the sister well. But I had to work.” While there were moments of demotivation, she remains grateful. “Today, I thank them. They made me who I am. If I didn’t have those compulsions, maybe I would have disappeared.”Looking back, Aruna believes taking that risk in Haseena Maan Jaayegi was worth it — even if she initially wanted to say no.
