Farhan Akhtar’s Candour on ‘Aap Ki Adalat’– Opens Up About Big B, Sridevi, and His Father Javed Akhtar

Recently, Bollywood actor, director, producer, and singer Farhan Akhtar appeared on India’s most popular and long-running show, Aap Ki Adalat, hosted by Rajat Sharma. During the episode, Rajat asked him several questions about his film career as well as his personal life. Farhan was there to promote his upcoming film 120 Bahadur, which is based on the historic 1962 India-China war. The film tells the story of Major Shaitan Singh Bhati and 120 brave soldiers who fought valiantly against 3,000 Chinese troops. Farhan Akhtar Aap Ki Adalat appearance) Here are the key highlights from their conversation—

When Rajat Sharma asked Farhan, “There’s a complaint that the film focuses only on Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, ignoring the rest of the 120 brave soldiers,” Farhan replied, “Sir, my answer has always been this — if I wanted to make a film solely on Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, I would have named it Shaitan Singh. That would have been the easiest thing to do. But this film is about the entire company of 120 soldiers, that’s why we named it 120 Bahadur. Every soldier’s contribution in that battle was just as heroic.”

Farhan also referred to a powerful dialogue from the film’s trailer that reflects the spirit of the Ahir regiment — “Aheer hain hum. Pyaar se maangoge to jaan bhi de denge, lekin desh par baat aayi to ek to kya, sau ki jaan le bhi lenge.” (“We are Ahirs. Ask with love and we’ll give our lives, but if it’s about our country, we’ll take a hundred lives if needed.”)
He added, “120 Bahadur isn’t the biopic of a single hero; it’s a tribute to collective sacrifice — a salute to every soldier who fought with unflinching courage in that icy battlefield.”

Shared His Experience of Lakshya

When asked about the changes in Ladakh since he made Lakshya (2004) and now while shooting 120 Bahadur, Farhan said, “There’s been tremendous improvement in infrastructure and road connectivity. During Lakshya, there were no cellphones, and we had to queue outside a single PCO. Only Mr. Bachchan had a satellite phone. But one thing hasn’t changed — the warmth and hospitality of the people of Ladakh.”

On “Teaching” Big B Acting

When asked about the incident during Lakshya where he allegedly tried to “teach” Amitabh Bachchan (Big B) how to act, Farhan laughed and clarified, “That was never my intention. It was my first day as a director in a military camp, and I was under tremendous pressure to stick to the strict schedule set by the army officials. I just wanted everything to move efficiently. Mr. Bachchan was taking his time with the performance, and I thought it would be better if I spoke to him privately, just to ensure he was comfortable.”

He added, “Perhaps it came across the wrong way — that a young director was trying to instruct him. I realized later that it might have offended him, so I apologized. My only concern was to keep the shoot running smoothly.”

On Dil Chahta Hai

Farhan, who directed the cult classic Dil Chahta Hai, revealed an interesting story about casting Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Akshaye Khanna. He said it took him eight months to convince Aamir Khan to do the film. “After waiting for months, I went to his house and read the entire script aloud through his video doorbell! When I first gave him the script, it was written in English. He told me, ‘You should make this in English.’ I told him I’d return with Hindi dialogues. Even after that, he asked for more time — and the wait stretched to eight months.”

Farhan also revealed that his father Javed Akhtar wanted to call Aamir personally to persuade him, but Aamir told Javed, “It’s good you didn’t call. If you had, I might not have met Farhan. I wanted to see how determined he was, whether he’d wait for me — and he did.” Dil Chahta Hai (2001) went on to become a cult film and won several awards.

On Portraying Milkha Singh in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

Farhan shared fascinating insights about playing Milkha Singh, “The Flying Sikh,” in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.
“Playing a 17-year-old sprinter was tough. I trained for eight months at Mumbai’s Priyadarshini Park on a 400-meter track alongside athletes from the police, navy, and railways. One day, Milkha Singh himself came and spoke to every athlete for two hours. When he suggested we jog together, I realized how much energy and fire he still had at over 70. That inspired me deeply.”

He recalled how Milkha Singh later gifted him the same running shoes he wore at the Rome Olympics.
“There was also a romantic scene in the film with an Australian girl. We asked Milkha Ji if he had any objections. He blushed, but his wife said, ‘No, no, show it — he had plenty of affairs before we met!’” Farhan laughed.

Later, he got emotional recalling his final conversation with Milkha Singh during his last days in a Chandigarh hospital during COVID-19: “His daughter called me and said doctors had given up hope. I asked her to hand the phone to him. I told him, ‘I will always love you.’ He was like a father to me.”

On His Love for Don

Farhan said, “I’ve always loved the story of Don. It excited me so much that I decided to remake it.” His version of Don starred Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, and Arjun Rampal, and like the original Amitabh Bachchan starrer, it became a blockbuster hit.

When He Accidentally Made Sridevi Fall

When Rajat Sharma asked, “Why did you make Sridevi fall?”, Farhan laughed, “How could I make Sridevi Ji fall? I was just an assistant cameraman — probably the seventh or eighth one on set! During a dance scene, I went to wipe a shiny spot on the floor with a bucket and cloth, and suddenly, she slipped and fell right in front of me! Everyone went silent. I thought my film career was over. But she started laughing, and soon everyone joined in. Honestly, it’s because of Sridevi Ji’s kindness that I’m sitting here on Aap Ki Adalat today.”

On His Relationship with Father Javed Akhtar

Speaking about his father, lyricist and writer Javed Akhtar, Farhan said, “I’m very close to my father, but I still get nervous speaking to him in Hindi. I usually talk to him in English because I’m scared of making mistakes in front of him. He once told me my Hindi diction is good, so I should speak in it more — but his command over the language is so incredible that it intimidates me.”

When asked why he doesn’t seek his father’s help in writing lyrics, Farhan smiled and said, “I respect my father immensely, but creatively, I like to walk my own path.”

Farhan Akhtar is currently gearing up for the release of his upcoming war drama 120 Bahadur, a film celebrating the courage and sacrifice of Indian soldiers who crushed thousands of Chinese troops and created history.

FAQs

Question 1: In which show did Farhan Akhtar recently appear?

Farhan Akhtar recently appeared in the popular show Aap Ki Adalat.

Question 2: What topic were they asked questions about on the show?

Host Rajat Sharma asked him questions related to his film career and personal life.

Question 3: Which film did Farhan Akhtar come to the show for?

He came to the show to promote his film  120 Bahadur.

Question 4: On what is the film '120 Bahadur' based?

The film is based on the famous battle of the 1962 Indo-China war, in which 120 brave soldiers led by Major Shaitan Singh Bhati defeated 3000 Chinese soldiers.

Question 5: What were the highlights of the conversation on the show?

In the show, Farhan shared the story of his film, his experiences, and thoughts related to patriotism.

Question 6: What did Farhan Akhtar say about his career?

He spoke at length about his versatile career, filmmaking, and singing experience.

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