Sonali Bendre recently revealed director Sooraj Barjatya cast her with Salman Khan in hum saath saath hai under one important condition.A Stark Contrast to Dr PreetiIn conversation with Bollywood Bubble, Sonali recalled her casting in Sooraj Barjatya’s Hum saath saath hain opposite Salman Khan, reflecting on how different she was from the character of Dr. Preeti. She shared that off-camera, she had a very distinct personal style — straight hair, flared jeans with thick anklets, crop tops, and a prominent nose ring instead of a stud. This vibrant, edgy version of herself was far from the soft-spoken, traditional character she portrayed on screen.First Meeting with Sooraj BarjatyaThe actress also shared more about her personal style during the time she was cast in Hum Saath Saath Hain. She often paired Indian jewellery with jeans and was equally comfortable in traditional attire like sarees and salwar kurtas. Recalling her first meeting with director Sooraj Barjatya, she said she wore a white salwar kurta with silver jhumkas and her signature nose ring, even though she knew the role required a modern, college-going look. Despite this, she went ahead dressed in what felt natural to her. She remembered being completely captivated by the storytelling, as Sooraj Barjatya narrated the entire script along with the music, acting out every character with great enthusiasm.She further reflected on how deeply connected she felt to Indian attire, especially while preparing for her role in Hum Saath Saath Hain. As she listened to the narration, she felt that her character, Dr. Preeti, didn’t quite fit the western look that was initially envisioned. Coming from a middle-class Maharashtrian background where salwar kurtas and Indian meals were a part of daily life, Sonali questioned why her character—who was still studying and mostly seen at home—would be dressed in western clothes. To her, it made more sense for the character to reflect a traditional Indian upbringing, and she believed that portraying Preeti in Indian attire would feel more natural and authentic.The One Condition for the RoleSonali also shared that before finalising her for the role of Dr Preeti in Hum Saath Saath Hain, Sooraj Barjatya had one specific condition. While he had initially envisioned the character in western attire, he eventually agreed to Indian clothing on one condition—that Sonali would keep wearing the nose ring she had on during their meeting. She readily agreed, mentioning that although she usually removed it before shoots, she had kept it on that day and was more than happy to include it as part of the character’s look.
