‘I was very embarrassed’: Madhuri Dixit revisits the Dayavan intimate scenes with Vinod Khanna decades later

More than three decades after Dayavan released, Madhuri Dixit has once again reflected on one of the most uncomfortable moments of her early career — the controversial kissing scene she shot with Vinod Khanna in the 1988 film. In a recent interview, the actor spoke about how the experience left a lasting impact on her and shaped her decisions going forward.At the time of Dayavan, Vinod Khanna was one of Hindi cinema’s biggest stars, while Madhuri was still a newcomer trying to establish herself. The controversy stemmed from the filming of the song Aaj Phir Tumpe Pyaar Aaya Hai, which featured an intense kissing sequence between the two.

‘I decided this is not something that’s to be done’

Speaking to Radio Nasha, Madhuri admitted that the scene deeply embarrassed her and made her uncomfortable enough to draw clear boundaries for the future.“Well I think it’s a growing process or learning process. You learn something with everything and I learned something from that too. And after that I was very embarrassed and I decided that this is something that’s not to be done,” she said.Madhuri has previously acknowledged that she was not fully aware of how explicit the scene would be when she signed the film. Looking back now, she has said that she still feels shocked when she watches it today.

What happened during the shoot

According to reports that have circulated over the years, the scene went beyond what Madhuri had anticipated. During the shoot, Vinod Khanna allegedly became carried away, continued the kiss longer than required, and even bit Madhuri’s lip, causing it to bleed. The incident reportedly left the actor in tears and visibly distressed on set.The episode has since been widely discussed as an example of the power imbalance young actresses often faced in the industry at the time.

Director Feroz Khan’s regret

Madhuri was also asked about filmmaker Feroz Khan’s later statements, in which he reportedly expressed regret over the scene, saying it was unfair to her stardom and should not have been filmed.Reflecting on it years later, Madhuri said the experience ultimately became a lesson that stayed with her.Reports suggest that Madhuri had requested the controversial scene to be removed from the final cut of Dayavan, and that a legal notice was sent to the makers seeking its deletion.

However, Feroz Khan ultimately chose to retain the sequence in the film. According to industry reports, Madhuri was paid an additional Rs 1 crore — a significant amount at the time — for the scene to remain.Vinod Khanna later apologised to Madhuri Dixit for his actions during the shoot. However, the impact of the incident was such that Madhuri reportedly never worked with him again after Dayavan.