
Actor Smita Jayakar, who played Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's on-screen mother in the 1999 film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, has recounted how director Sanjay Leela Bhansali once scolded Salman Khan for touching Aishwarya's arm during the filming of the song Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyan. In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, she said the gesture was not part of the scene and that Bhansali asked Salman, 'Salman, why did you touch her?' Smita said Salman 'just felt like touching her' because he was in love.

Smita also recalled that Salman and Aishwarya's real-life romance blossomed during the shoot and was visible on set, adding to the film's chemistry. She described them as 'angelic' and said their feelings helped the film. However, their romance occasionally tested the crew's patience, with the two arriving together around 11 am for 7 am shifts, oblivious to the waiting crew. Bhansali reportedly shouted at Salman over the incident, leaving the crew amused and Aishwarya blushing.
Both outlets report the same set of anecdotes from Smita Jayakar's interview, with nearly identical framing and detail. Neither source adopts a stance beyond straight reporting of the actor's account, and neither introduces any editorial judgement, opposition criticism or government angle. The uniform coverage centres on a nostalgic, behind-the-scenes recollection, without any political or ideological slant. The only difference is minor wording choices, which do not alter the factual substance. The story remains a celebrity nostalgia piece with no broader implications beyond the film industry.
The concrete takeaway is the recollection itself: a single on-set incident from a 1999 film, with no scheduled follow-up or next step.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): indianexpress.com (neutral report), timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.