Action director Sham Kaushal recently spoke about the intense and emotional experience of filming the climax scene of Om Shanti Om, where Shah Rukh Khan’s character tries to rescue Deepika Padukone’s Shantipriya from a fire. In an interview with Hindi Rush, Sham revealed that the scene was shot without any VFX, and the fire on the set was real. The set was packed with around 100 people, including Shah Rukh, Deepika, three cameramen, and nearly 60 members of the action team.
Sham recalled the immense pressure he felt during the shoot, as the fire had to be lit and extinguished within seconds to ensure everyone’s safety. He said the margin for error was so small that even a slight mistake could have turned into a disaster. The responsibility of protecting so many lives weighed heavily on him. He admitted that the stress was overwhelming, and there were moments when he had to step aside and cry on set, fearing something might go wrong. “I felt like I’d have a heart attack,” he said emotionally.
The iconic scene remains one of the most memorable moments in the film, but few know the real-life tension and effort that went into making it happen safely.
