'No aunty': Dimple Kapadia placed one strict rule for director Farhan Akhtar during Dil Chahta Hai shoot

Before Dil Chahta Hai revolutionized modern Bollywood storytelling and set friendship goals for an entire generation, it also gave Farhan Akhtar a uniquely awkward problem — how to address the legendary Dimple Kapadia without getting on her wrong side. For a debutant director in his twenties, leading a cast packed with stars and seasoned actors, Farhan may have had a vision that changed Indian cinema, but he certainly didn’t have the words to navigate one comical challenge: What do you call Dimple Kapadia without sounding rude… or old-school?

According to the Indian Express, at the recent Waves Summit 2025, Farhan Akhtar opened up about this amusing behind-the-scenes anecdote that still makes him laugh. He admitted to not knowing how to address her. He recalled how her arrival on set sparked a quiet internal panic. Calling her “Dimple aunty” felt like a cinematic sin that might send the actress storming off the set. But calling her just “Dimple” seemed disrespectful to someone who had been an industry icon since Bobby hit theatres in the '70s, long before Farhan had even considered making films.

So, Farhan played it safe. Or so he thought. He settled on a polite (and slightly vague) string of “ma’am”, “ji”,“yes yes” and “Are you ready, ma’am?” became his default line on set, until Dimple herself decided to call out the awkwardness. After a couple of days, the veteran actress, sharp as ever, turned to him and asked why he hadn’t been using her name. When Farhan confessed he wasn’t sure what to call her, she laid down the law: “You better call me Dimple. If Dimple aunty comes out of your mouth, I’m leaving this film.”

About Dil Chahta Hai

Released in 2001, Dil Chahta Hai marked Farhan Akhtar’s directorial debut and signaled a generational shift in Hindi cinema. Co-produced by Ritesh Sidhwani under Excel Entertainment, the film starred Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Akshaye Khanna as three close friends navigating life, love, and adulthood. Dimple Kapadia played the enigmatic Tara, an older woman struggling with personal demons, who forms a deep bond with Khanna’s character. The film became a cult classic for its honest storytelling, stylish execution, and fresh approach to modern relationships.

About Farhan Akhtar and Dimple Kapadia

Farhan Akhtar, since then, has worn many hats — director, actor, producer, writer, and even singer. His last production was Ground Zero, and he currently has Songs of Paradise and 120 Bahadur in the pipeline. Meanwhile, Dimple Kapadia continues to stun audiences across genres and formats. Her latest appearance was in the Netflix whodunit series Murder Mubarak, reminding fans once again of her unmatched screen presence.