Sham Kaushal recalls Om Shanti Om’s fire scene nearly gave him a heart attack; reveals how Shah Rukh Khan reassured him & did it

Vicky Kaushal’s father Sham Kaushal is one of the most celebrated action directors of Bollywood. During his journey, Sham worked with the biggest directors and actors. He is known for directing action in films such as Gangs of Wasseypur, Padmaavat, Tiger Zinda Hai, Simmba, Om Shanti Om and many more.

During a recent conversation, Sham Kaushal recalls how he shot the fire sequence in Om Shanti Om and how Shah Rukh Khan handled the situation.

Sham Kaushal praises Shah Rukh Khan for Om Shanti Om

In an interview with Friday Talkies, Sham Kaushal was asked about the most challenging sequences that required extensive preparation. Sham answered, “Honestly, bataun aisa easy toh kuch bhi nahi hota hai. Mai har din dara hua hin set pe jata hun ki sab tik se ho jaaye. (There’s nothing that’s easy. Every day, I go to the set with a sense of fear, hoping that everything goes smoothly).”

He then recalled shooting the fire sequence for Om Shanti Om and shared how those 4-5 days were incredibly difficult and almost gave him a heart attack. As visual effects technology was less advanced then than it is today, Kaushal and his team used real fire for the scene with three cameras and around 60 working members. They had to be extremely precise with lighting and extinguishing the fire, as a moment’s delay could be dangerous.

“These are the moments that kill you and you feel like you’re going to suffer a heart attack. I end up breaking down at times,” Sham Kaushal confessed while remembering the shoot. He then added how Shah Rukh Khan took the situation in stride and said, “Paaji tension na le, main aisa nikal jaunga (Paaji, don’t be stressed. I will come out like this).”

About OSO

Om Shanti Om was directed by Farah Khan and marked Deepika Padukone’s debut. The Shah Rukh Khan starrer also featured Arjun Rampal, Shreyas Talpade, Kirron Kher and others in pivotal roles. The romantic drama worked wonders at the box office becoming the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2007 and the highest-grossing Hindi film ever at the time of its release.

Also Read: Vicky Kaushal recalls father Sham Kaushal’s struggles; reveals he once contemplated suicide due to being jobless