Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s blockbuster hit, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, completed 26 successful years of its premiere a few weeks ago, and the film’s magic still lingers among Bollywood fans. The iconic film features an ensemble cast and follows the love triangle of ‘Nandini’ (Aishwarya Rai), ‘Sameer’ (Salman Khan) and ‘Vanraj’ (Ajay Devgn). Now, Smita Jaykar, who played Aishwarya Rai’s on-screen mother in the film, has confirmed that Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai did fall in love during the shoot.
Smita Jaykar confirms the buzz around Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai’s off-screen chemistry during the Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam shoot
Fans had always speculated that the sizzling chemistry between Salman and Aishwarya in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam wasn’t just acting, and now, Aishwarya’s on-screen mother, Smita Jaykar has confirmed it. In a recent candid conversation with Filmymantra, Jaykar recalled the electric atmosphere on set that was hard to miss. Speaking about Salman and Aishwarya, the actress remarked:
“Yes, they fell in love there. The affair flourished there. And it helped the film a lot. Both of them had those moony-moony eyes, and it was showing on their faces. That worked very well for the film.”
Sanjay Leela Bhansali remembers love in the air
On the film’s 26th anniversary on June 18, 2025, ace filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali also addressed the long-rumoured romance between Salman and Aishwarya. In an interview with ETimes, Bhansali confirmed that love was indeed blooming between the two, and the whole cast’s chemistry made the shoot even more magical and fulfilling. He shared:
“Yes, there was love in the air. But not just between them; there was a lot of affection among all of us. Zohra Sehgalji, Helen Aunty, Salman, Aishwarya, Vikram Gokhale, Smita Jayekar—we were like one big family. I don’t think I’ve had such a fulfilling experience shooting any other film,”
Image Courtesy: Bhansali Productions Instagram
Somy Ali remembers ex-boyfriend Salman and Aishwarya’s budding romance during the film’s shoot
Salman Khan was reportedly in a relationship with actress Somy Ali during the early stages of filming Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. In a 2024 interview with Times Now, Somy recalled her growing suspicion about Salman and Aishwarya.
The actress also claimed that Aishwarya had started visiting Salman’s gym, and she received inside information from house staff at Galaxy Apartments confirming the budding romance. In Somy Ali’s words:
“The shoot was going on when I called up Salman, but he didn’t pick up. Then I called Sanjay Leela Bhansali and he said, ‘He can’t speak to you right now because he’s in a shot’… Later, Aish started coming to Salman’s gym, where we were living. Salman and I used to live on the ground floor of Galaxy… Aishwarya and Salman fell in love during the shooting of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. I was getting information from the servants inside who favoured me. I knew in my heart that their relationship was something that’s gonna blossom. I knew it was time for me to leave.”
Image Courtesy: Bhansali Productions Instagram
Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai’s unfinished love story
While there’s no denying the fact that their blooming love story added soul to Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, a film remains etched in cinematic history, it ultimately came to an end. Salman and Aishwarya reportedly broke up in 2002 and never worked together again. In 2007, Aishwarya married Abhishek Bachchan. The couple now shares a daughter, Aaradhya.
What do you think about Smita Jaykar’s revelation of Salman and Aishwarya’s blooming romance on the Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam set?
Read Next: Boney Kapoor Reacts To Daughter, Anshula Kapoor’s ENGAGEMENT Announcement, ‘Waiting..’