02 October,2026 10:18 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Sonal Chauhan and Emraan Hashmi. Pics via Instagram and IMDb
Sonal Chauhan has revisited one of Bollywood's most remembered romantic moments, revealing that Emraan Hashmi was not entirely convinced about the now-iconic proposal scene in the Jannat movie. The 2008 romantic crime drama continues to enjoy a loyal following, but Chauhan's latest recollection suggests that one of its most celebrated sequences almost felt like too much while filming it.
During a conversation with Shubhankar Mishra, the actor recalled Emraan Hashmi's reaction to the scene. "Emraan was not fully convinced for the iconic proposal scene. At that time, he said, 'This is getting a bit too much!'" But, thank God we did it! It became a cult," she said.
Chauhan also credited the late singer KK's voice for adding to the scene's impact. While audiences continue to remember her smile in the sequence, the actor admitted that her own first reaction to seeing it in the trailer was quite different.
"People talk about my smile in that scene, but when the trailer came out, and I saw that smile, I was cringing," she recalled, adding that sometimes everything falls into place when a film is meant to work.
The actor also spoke about how audiences continue to associate her with the film, even years after its release. She said the response to Jannat has been so personal that viewers still approach her with strong opinions about her character's choices. "It is a victory for the film that people took it so personally; to this day, guys come up to me and say, 'You shouldn't have let Emraan die,'" she said.
Chauhan also revealed that she had disagreements with certain portions of the script. Recalling a scene involving a conversation about transport and a coffee date, she felt the writing made her character appear materialistic. "I told the director that he was turning me into a gold digger!" she recalled. However, the scene eventually became another memorable part of the film.
Directed by Kunal Deshmukh, Jannat starred Hashmi as Arjun, a man whose involvement in cricket betting complicates his relationship with Chauhan's Zoya. Its music, performances and romantic moments have helped the film remain a talking point among audiences.
Her latest recollections offer a glimpse into how a scene that initially seemed excessive to its lead actor eventually became one of Jannat's most enduring moments. Chauhan is currently receiving attention for her appearance as Mumtaz Bibi in Mirzapur: The Movie, where she steps into the franchise's crime-drama universe.
