When Babita Kapoor’s stubbornness left actress injured

Karisma Kapoor rose to fame as one of the biggest stars of the 90s, admired for her exceptional dancing and acting talent. In a recent interview, celebrated choreographer Ganesh Acharya reflected on working with her in the iconic song Goriya Chura Na with Govinda.

He recalled how Karisma’s mother, Babita Kapoor, played an important role during the shoot, but her strong preference for a particular dance step led to an injury. Acharya confirmed that Karisma Kapoor started bleeding while filming the song. Speaking to Pinkvilla, he recalled, “Yes, yes, that knee movement. Babita ji had a major hand in it.”

He explained that Babita Kapoor pushed for Karisma to do a dance move that was initially only for Govinda. He added, “That moment was supposed to be Govinda ji’s solo, but Babita ji intervened, saying, ‘Why is he doing it alone?’ I explained, ‘Karisma is wearing shorts; it’s a knee movement.’ She insisted, ‘She will do it. Show her, make her do it.’”

Unfortunately, the dance move led to a painful injury for Karisma, which made everyone on set anxious. Acharya shared that her knees were scraped during the shoot. He said, “I was so afraid that I made my assistant demonstrate the move and poor Karisma couldn’t refuse. She did it wearing the same shorts, and after the song, you could see her knees were scraped. Govinda ji had knee pads under his trousers, but Karisma had no protection.”

He further mentioned, “This is why Karisma Kapoor is who she is today. She worked incredibly hard and her mother, Babita ji, played a huge role in both her and Kareena’s careers.”

Goriya Chura Na Mera Jiya is still considered one of Bollywood’s most iconic songs. It was featured in the 1995 film Coolie No. 1, with Karisma Kapoor and Govinda in the lead roles.