Archive · 11 Aug 2026
Prachee Shah Pandya recalls shooting Kamal Haasan's Hey Ram
A movie actress named Prachee Shah Pandya has been talking about her first experience working on a big film called Hey Ram.
Hey Ram is a famous Indian movie made in 2000 by the very talented actor and director Kamal Haasan.
The film is about important historical events in India, including the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
When Prachee tried out for the main girl's role, she was only 19 years old.
Kamal Haasan wanted an actress who could speak Tamil, but Prachee only knew Marathi, Gujarati, and Hindi.
So he chose Hema Malini for that part and instead asked Prachee to perform a special lavani dance song.
Prachee is a wonderful Kathak dancer who once set a world record by spinning 93 times in one minute.
She was amazed by Kamal Haasan, who even played the tabla and helped choreograph their rehearsals.
She also met the famous actor Shah Rukh Khan, who she says was very charming and sweet.
The movie did not earn much money, but it won three National Awards and is still remembered today.
Prachee Shah Pandya, aged 19 at the time, tested for the lead role in Hey Ram but was told the part needed a Tamil-speaking actress.
Kamal Haasan cast Hema Malini in the heroine's role and instead offered Prachee a lavani song performed in both Marathi and Tamil.
A trained Kathak dancer who holds a Guinness World Record for 93 spins in a minute, Prachee praised Haasan's versatility, including his tabla playing and choreography on the Chennai set.
She met Shah Rukh Khan, who distributed the film in North India under Dreamz Unlimited, only once and called him gracious, charming, and sweet.
Though a box-office failure, Hey Ram won three National Awards, including Best Supporting Actor for Atul Kulkarni.
- Who
- Prachee Shah Pandya, an actress and trained Kathak dancer best known for Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, recalling her experience with Kamal Haasan and the cast of Hey Ram, including Shah Rukh Khan and Hema Malini.
- What
- A recent interview in which Prachee recalled shooting Kamal Haasan's period crime drama Hey Ram (2000), including being cast in a lavani song after missing out on the lead role.
- When
- Hey Ram released in 2000; Prachee was around 19 during the shoot and spoke about it in a recent interview.
- Where
- Shooting took place in Chennai, India; the film depicts events such as Partition and Mahatma Gandhi's assassination.
- Why
- Kamal Haasan wanted to work with her after seeing her dance biodata and offered her a bilingual lavani song.
- Film
- Hey Ram (2000)
- Writer-Director-Producer
- Kamal Haasan
- Prachee's Role
- Lavani song sequence in Marathi and Tamil
- Lead Actress Cast
- Hema Malini
- Production Banner
- Raaj Kamal Films International
- North India Distributor
- Shah Rukh Khan's Dreamz Unlimited
- National Awards Won
- 3 (Best Special Effects, Best Costume Design, Best Supporting Actor)
- Prachee's Guinness World Record
- 93 Kathak spins in one minute