In a throwback interview with Filmfare in 2001, Bobby revealed that Vidhu discovered Neha in Delhi for the film ‘Kareeb.’ He noted that Neha was inexperienced, and Chopra constantly pushed her, which made the process challenging. Bobby contrasted his experience, mentioning that his famous surname might have shielded him from such intense scrutiny, unlike Neha’s situation.
He recounted an incident where Vidhu Vinod Chopra went to extreme lengths to ensure Neha remembered which hand to extend in a scene. In a scene where Neha’s character had to offer her left hand, she repeatedly got confused. Despite being asked to bite her right hand to remember, she still made mistakes. After numerous takes, Chopra lost his patience and bit her right hand himself. Bobby was left stunned by the incident.
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Bobby noted that Shabana was understandably shocked and frightened by the incident, recalling how she was shivering afterward. Despite her distress, even in the final take, she extended her right hand instead of the left one required for the scene.
Shabana, now known as Neha, has not publicly discussed the biting incident. However, in a previous interview with Rediff in 2008, she revealed how her name was forcibly changed from Shabana to Neha for the film industry. She expressed discomfort with the change, stating that she was always Shabana according to her parents’ wishes. Despite her reluctance to act in films, she eventually tried her hand at acting because of the strong interest shown by the makers of ‘Kareeb’ in casting her.