January 13, 1991. While most of Bombay was still shaking off the laziness of the New Year, another journey quietly began at Mehboob Studios.
The muhurat shot of Saajan had been completed a few days earlier, and now the real shooting had officially started.
Unlike the cheerful chaos that surrounded Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin, the atmosphere on Lawrence D'Souza's set felt calmer and more emotional. He wanted every relationship in the film to feel genuine. Friendship, love, sacrifice. Everything had to come naturally.
The first schedule itself included all three leads.
Salman Khan had arrived in his usual energetic manner, making friends with half the unit within an hour.
Madhuri Dixit, already one of the busiest actresses in the industry, joined the set from the very beginning. Despite her stardom, she greeted everyone warmly and treated even junior artists with respect, something Adil quietly admired.
Their first scene together wasn't romantic.
It was a simple family gathering scene where Aman Verma first met Pooja Saxena. Aman spoke little, while Pooja carried the conversation.
Lawrence D'Souza explained calmly.
"Adil, Aman is naturally reserved. He listens more than he speaks. Madhuri ji, Pooja is curious and warm. The chemistry shouldn't look like love. Just comfort."
The cameras rolled.
Pooja smiled. "You don't talk much, do you?"
Aman smiled faintly. "Enough."
"That's not an answer." Pooja said.
"It's all I have." Aman replied.
"And if I ask another question?" Pooja asked.
Aman looked toward her and said softly, "Then I suppose I'll have to answer."
"Good." She smiled and continued. "Because I don't like boring people."
"Neither do I."
"Are you calling me boring?"
"No."
"Then?"
"I'm still deciding."
"Cut!"
Lawrence grinned. "Perfect."
Everyone laughed, including Madhuri herself.
"It sounds like they're already flirting," she joked.
Salman, sitting behind the monitor, immediately stood up.
"Arre! The shooting just started. Save some romance for me too."
The entire crew burst into laughter.
Over the next week, several scenes involving Aman and Akash's friendship were filmed. Salman and Adil naturally became comfortable around each other. Between takes, Salman was incapable of sitting quietly.
One afternoon while Adil was revising dialogue pages, Salman suddenly snatched the script.
"Enough studying, Professor."
"Give it back."
"No."
"Salman."
"No."
Lawrence D'Souza watched helplessly.
"Salman, stop troubling him."
"But sir, he only talks to books."
Lawrence D'Souza said. He want's to feel the character of Aman more that's why"
Madhuri laughed. "I think he's jealous."
Salman pointed dramatically. "Exactly! She understands me."
Soon the shooting moved to Film City, where a sequence involving all three characters was filmed.
According to the story, Akash cheerfully introduced Pooja to Aman.
Several takes were required because Salman kept improvising.
Instead of saying his scripted line, he suddenly announced:
"Aman, this is Pooja. She's beautiful, intelligent, and she talks too much."
Madhuri instantly slapped his arm.
"And this is Akash. He talks even more."
Even Adil broke character and started laughing.
"Cut!"
Lawrence D'Souza shook his head. "You three are impossible." But he smiled.
He liked the natural chemistry forming among them. By the end of January, outdoor schedules began.
The unit shifted to Outdoor.
Cold winds, green hills, and long shooting hours became part of daily life. One evening, they were filming a sequence where Pooja and Aman discussed poetry while walking through a garden.
The scene required Pooja to ask,
"Do you believe words can make someone fall in love?"
Aman was supposed to smile and reply,
"Sometimes words reveal feelings people are afraid to say."
During rehearsals, Madhuri asked him playfully, "And do you believe that?"
Adil smiled. "Aman believes it."
"And Adil?" She asked. He paused then said. "Still thinking." She laughed softly. "Safe answer."
By now, Madhuri had stopped finding his shyness amusing. Instead, she found it strangely refreshing.
Most people around her tried too hard. Some flirted constantly. Some spoke endlessly about themselves. Adil rarely did either.
Sometimes he would sit quietly with a book between shots. Other times he discussed scenes seriously with Lawrence.
One afternoon she found him writing something in a notebook.
"What are you hiding?"
"Nothing."
"You're lying."
"It's just thoughts."
"Poems?"
"No."
"Show me."
"No."
Madhuri smiled.
"You know, you're very mysterious."
Adil laughed.
"No. I'm just boring."
"I disagree."
She said it casually.
But somehow, that answer stayed with him for the rest of the day. As February approached, one emotional scene became the talk of the set.
It was a telephone conversation between Aman and Pooja.
Lawrence wanted emotions, not drama. When the cameras rolled, silence filled the studio.
Pooja's voice trembled slightly.
"Sometimes I feel like I know you better than people around me."
Aman smiled sadly.
"Maybe because words are easier than faces."
"And if we meet someday?"
"Then I hope reality doesn't disappoint you."
The moment the scene ended, nobody spoke for several seconds.
Even the cameraman looked impressed. Lawrence smiled happily. "Excellent."
Madhuri herself turned toward Adil.
"That was beautiful."
"Thank you."
"No, really."
She smiled warmly. "You make emotional scenes very easy."
Adil looked slightly embarrassed. "So do you."
Salman suddenly appeared between them. "Excuse me." Both looked at him. "I also exist."
Madhuri laughed. "Of course you do."
"No, I mean it. You two become serious and forget me." Salman said.
Adil smiled. "We could never forget you."
"Good." Salman nodded proudly. "The audience won't either."
By now, lunch breaks had become routine. The three usually sat together.
Salman talked.Madhuri laughed. Adil listened and somehow, everyone was happy with that arrangement.
One day, while returning after pack-up, Madhuri noticed Adil standing outside alone near his car.
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
"You look tired."
"A little."
"Long day?"
He nodded.
After a few moments of silence, she smiled.
"You know something?"
"What?"
"When I first met you, I thought you were too serious."
"And now?"
She thought for a moment.
"Now I think you're difficult."
"Difficult?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because I still can't figure you out."
Adil laughed.
"I'm trying to figure myself out."
She smiled.
"Good."
Then she quietly added,
"When you do, tell me."
Neither of them thought much about those words.
Neither called it love.
Neither understood where these feelings would lead.
But somewhere between dialogues, retakes, and endless cups of tea, admiration had slowly begun turning into affection.
And without realizing it, both had started looking forward to seeing each other every morning.
While Salman Khan, unfortunately, had already noticed everything.
And he was simply waiting for the perfect opportunity to tease them.