The fascinating connection between Shefali Jariwala and Salman Khan

Actress Shefali Jariwala, who passed away on Friday night in Mumbai, climbed the ladder to success with the remix of her song, 'Kaanta Laga'. The actress has an interesting connection with Bollywood superstar Salman Khan.

Back in the early 2000s, the dot com bubble had burst, a decade had passed since the New Economic Policy of India was enacted. Like other sectors, India’s entertainment industry too was looking west. But to make the content marketable, it was imperative to have the basic thread from India. That’s how the remix of ‘Kaanta Laga’ came to life.

Director duo Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru, who are known for ‘Sanam Teri Kasam’, started off with music videos, and were the creative forces behind the remix as they cast Shefali in a bold avatar of a rebellious girl who wants to go to a club.

When the music video came out, it triggered a national uproar over its ‘indecent’ portrayal of a young woman, who reads adult magazines, dresses differently from what the norm was back then, and has a rebellious grain.

The director duo were once told by Salman Khan to stay clear of such disruptive ideas that challenge the moral fabric of the nation. Salman, who worked with Radhika and Vinay in ‘Lucky: No Time for Love’, was not impressed by what the director duo had done in the remix in terms of the visuals.

However, as fate would have it, the same song was used in Salman’s film ‘Mujhse Shaadi Karogi’, which was released 2 years after the remix came out. What’s even interesting is that Shefali too featured in the song in the film along with Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar, who essayed Salman’s best friend in the film.

Shefali entered the ‘Bigg Boss’ house for its 13th season. Salman has been hosting the show for close to 15 years now. It marked the full-circle for the actress. Shefali, whose portrayal was dismissed by Salman at the start of her career, was hosted by the superstar when she became a part of the reality show.

Shefali reportedly passed away on Friday following a cardiac arrest. Her husband Parag Tyagi reportedly rushed her to a hospital in the Andheri area of Mumbai but doctors declared her dead on arrival. Her body has been sent to Cooper Hospital in Andheri for further formalities.