Farah wanted Amitabh, Dilip Kumar for Om Shanti Om song

Director Farah Khan, whose 2007 film Om Shanti Om will be premiered at the 37th Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), has revealed she was keen to rope in Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu for its title song.

The Shah Rukh Khan starrer Om Shanti Om is special for Farah as she was pregnant while shooting for it. “Also, we had the whole industry to do a song in the film. Salman, Saif and others waited to see Dharmendraji dance. We captured that impromptu moment when they all were dancing,” said Farah. “We wanted many stars from the industry, like Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, but things did not work out. Shah Rukh had then told me he will get Dilip Kumar Sahab and Saira Banuji. It’s been eight years and he (Shah Rukh) is yet to get them,” she said on a lighter note.

The film’s title song had featured over 30 celebrities from Bollywood like Shah Rukh, Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Tabu, Rekha, Juhi Chawla, Malaika Arora Khan, Urmila Matondkar, Arbaaz Khan and others. However, Farah thinks it is now impossible to get that galaxy of stars for a song.

“Today it is not possible to get all of them for a song. Also the song should go with the subject, plot of the film, otherwise it looks like a gimmick,” she said.

Based on reincarnation, Om Shanti Om marked the debut of actor Deepika Padukone in Bollywood. Produced by Shah Rukh’s wife Gauri Khan, the film also starred Arjun Rampal.