Renuka Shahane Recalled Shooting Death & Funeral Scene In Hum Apke Hain Koun, “Sitting Here & Laughing At Us”

Hum Aapke Hain Koun was a landmark film that redefined Bollywood’s family drama genre and became one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time. Directed by Sooraj Barjatya, the movie was a grand celebration of Indian traditions with Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit leading an ensemble cast. Among them, Renuka Shahane stood out as Pooja, the perfect elder sister whose warmth and charm won over audiences.

For Shahane, the film was a turning point. Though she had appeared on television and in films before, Hum Aapke Hain Koun cemented her as the quintessential “girl next door.” However, her character’s tragic demise in the film left an unforgettable impact on viewers. Decades later, Renuka recalls the behind-the-scenes moments of filming her on-screen death and funeral, including a hilarious incident from the set.

The cast members asked Renuka Shahane to go away from the set during the funeral scene

One of the most unforgettable sequences in Hum Aapke Hain Koun was Pooja’s death. Her shocking accident at the top of the stairs and the subsequent emotional aftermath in the hospital left audiences in tears. Shahane, in a recent interview with Filme Shilmy, shared that Reema Lagoo, who played her mother, was deeply affected by the scene. “After the scene in the hospital, when Pooja passes away, Reema Lagoo was inconsolable. This affected her so deeply,” she recalled. “It took her quite some time to come back to normal and to accept the fact that this is a character and this character has died.”