Chinni Prakash revealed that actress Kimi Katkar fell off a cliff during the song’s shoot.
Jumma Chumma De De stays in our hearts rent-free. (Photo Credit: X)
It is nearly impossible to resist grooving or humming when Amitabh Bachchan’s iconic song Jumma Chumma De De hits the speakers. More than three decades since its release, the high-energy song from Mukul S. Anand’s 1991 film Hum continues to rule the hearts of every Bollywood fanatic across generations. Featuring the ever-charismatic Big B alongside actress Kimi Katkar, the upbeat song has also attained a cult classic status, which Chinni Prakash masterfully choreographed.
In a recent interview with ETimes, the choreographer shared some never-heard-before details about the making of this iconic number. Prakash reminisced the challenging moments faced by the actress during the shoot, saying, “Kimi Katkar was a good dancer, but when there are around 2,000 men, and you’re the only girl, you will feel awkward.”
The veteran choreographer then shared details about the most talked-about sequence in the song, where Amitabh Bachchan pulls off the actress’ skirt and sprays her with a powerful water jet. Recalling Kimi’s behind-the-scenes struggles, Prakash added, “That was not an actual nozzle. It was a fire engine nozzle. I also didn’t know that this would put so much pressure because 15-20 boys, Amit Ji, and all the junior artists were holding it. On the other side, only Kimi was there.”
What followed was an unexpected incident, where Kimi was thrown off by 20 feet and fell off a cliff. Despite the injury, Chinni Prakash mentioned that the actress did not back down. “It hurt her. She started crying. There was a stoppage of shooting. But that girl didn’t leave. She was bloody fighting her way with that force,” Prakash recalled, complimenting Kimi’s resilience.
Chinni Prakash opened up about the challenging working conditions at Mukesh Mills, where the cast and crew had to do everything manually, given that advanced technological support was not available back then. Despite the many challenges, Jumma Chumma De De turned out to be a cinematic triumph.
Recalling Jaya Bachchan’s reaction to the song, Prakash shared, “Jaya ji started clapping, ‘Amit, what a dance! This is iconic.’ That’s when Amit ji realised what we had created. The next day, he performed every step with full conviction.”
Chinni Prakash also praised Big B’s dedication, revealing that the actor had undergone surgery and was not in his best health.
“I cannot do this” — at any point in the shoot. “We did 15 takes for some shots, and every time, he’d look at me after a take. I’d say, ‘Sir, one more.’ He’d say, ‘One more? Let’s do it,’” added Prakash.
After an intense shoot of 15 days, the cast and crew wrapped up shooting the song, with everyone being very emotional. Prakash also credited producer Romesh Sharma for bringing together a dynamic team and “getting all these cracks to work together.”
