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3 min readNew DelhiMay 9, 2026 03:54 PM IST
Hrithik Roshan in Lakshya. (Photo: IMDb)
Remember the scene from The Dirty Picture where an excited Silk Smitha, played by Vidya Balan, takes her mother to a theatre to watch a tiny scene she had done in a film? Proudly telling everyone around her, “This is my film,” she is left heartbroken when she realises her scenes were edited out and never made it to the final cut. For many character actors, that moment has reflected a painful reality. One among them is Amit Behl, known for his work in films like Lakshya and television shows such as Shanti.
Speaking to Siddharth Kannan, Amit recalled how, during his years in films, many actors would either get his scenes edited out or even have his voice muffled because of the insecurities of lead stars. “It feels bad.”
However, he also remembered one film and one leading actor who never made him feel sidelined. Recalling his experience while shooting Lakshya, Amit shared: “When I did Lakshya, Farhan kept each and every shot of mine that was narrated to me. There is an iconic scene in the film where I punish Hrithik Roshan and get him enrolled in the obstacle course. Hrithik told me, ‘Sir, if needed, kick me. I am wearing a body pad, so don’t worry. Please kick me if you feel it is required because this scene is very important for the film.’ We did three takes for that shot, and Hrithik was covered in mud, but he still gave me that space.”
He further praised Hrithik Roshan and Farhan Akhtar for their professionalism and lack of insecurity despite their success at the time.
“Hrithik was already a huge star after Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai, and Farhan was an acclaimed director after Dil Chahta Hai, yet they kept all my scenes and never edited me out. So there are good memories too. Earlier, there were many cases where our scenes would get cut. Now they don’t dare to do it as much, because if the film doesn’t work, how is anyone going to remain a star?”
Interestingly, this wasn’t the first collaboration between Amit and Farhan. Amit revealed that both Farhan and his sister Zoya Akhtar had earlier worked as assistants to Adi Pocha during the making of Shanti in 1994. “They used to handle continuity,” Amit recalled fondly.
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He also reflected on how the atmosphere in the industry has changed over the years, saying actors earlier supported one another rather than competing destructively. “Earlier, people didn’t pull each other down. They supported each other. Now, the industry has formed weird camps where people are constantly criticising and insulting others.”
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