📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Bollywood Hungama
Entertainment
Zoya Akhtar Explains Why Katrina Kaif Consented to First On‑Screen Kiss with Hrithik Roshan in ZNMD
✍️ NDTV
🗓 19 Aug 2026, 09:42 AM
👁 21
Director Zoya Akhtar said Katrina Kaif agreed to the kiss in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara because she trusted the film’s vision and felt the scene was essential.
In a recent interview, filmmaker Zoya Akhtar opened up about the behind‑the‑scenes decision that led Katrina Kaif to share an on‑screen kiss with Hrithik Roshan in the 2011 road‑trip drama Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Akhtar said Kaif’s consent was rooted in her confidence in the director’s handling of the sequence and her belief that the moment served the story’s emotional arc.
The kiss, which appears midway through the film, was a departure for Kaif, who had not performed such a scene before. According to Akhtar, the actress felt reassured by the collaborative atmosphere on set and by the script’s clear justification for the intimacy.
Industry observers note that the scene became a talking point when the film released, highlighting evolving norms around on‑screen romance in mainstream Bollywood. Akhtar’s comments underscore the importance of trust between actors and directors when navigating sensitive moments.
The director’s remarks were made during a media interaction promoting her latest project, and they shed light on the professional dynamics that shape creative choices in contemporary Indian cinema.
The kiss, which appears midway through the film, was a departure for Kaif, who had not performed such a scene before. According to Akhtar, the actress felt reassured by the collaborative atmosphere on set and by the script’s clear justification for the intimacy.
Industry observers note that the scene became a talking point when the film released, highlighting evolving norms around on‑screen romance in mainstream Bollywood. Akhtar’s comments underscore the importance of trust between actors and directors when navigating sensitive moments.
The director’s remarks were made during a media interaction promoting her latest project, and they shed light on the professional dynamics that shape creative choices in contemporary Indian cinema.