The mystery of how a football shirt ended up in a classic 90s Bollywood movie may have been solved.
Rovers fan Nisar Patel, known as Nish to many, has told how he handed two shirts to dance choreographers Saroj Khan and Farah Khan while on a trip to India.
“I used to meet them regularly in my days working for the BBC,” said Nisar.
“Whenever I travelled across the world I would wear my Rovers top. I recollect telling them it would be great if we could get the famous blue and white shirt into a major movie. I was still shocked when I saw it happen.”
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (Something Happens) was released in 1998 and catapulted Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol to superstar status.
The lead actors were joined by two other Bollywood legends Rani Mukerji and Salman Khan, and a soundtrack that helped make the movie one of the biggest box office hits of the decade. It was the highest-grossing Indian film of the year and the third highest-grossing Indian film at the time, watched by millions across the world.
It won eight Filmfare Awards, India’s equivalent of the Oscars, and was the only film to win all four acting awards.
In the track Koi Mil Gya (I Found Someone) eagle-eyed viewers may well have spotted a dancer wearing what looks like a Blackburn Rovers shirt. It has the correct sponsor at the time – CIS - but strangely enough no badge.
The dancer appears throughout the video directly behind Shah Rukh Khan.
Nisar, 65, said: “When in India I met the choreographers and they liked the shirts I had with me. They were always looking for something different and unique. I handed them two and kept one for myself.
“A lot of the movies tended to have the same dancers who worked on different projects. So, I would think maybe the shirts got passed around too.”
In his time with the BBC, Nisar interviewed some of Bollywood’s most iconic actors such as Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar, Saira Bano, Feroz Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Shilpa Shetty and Salman Khan.
He says when the film was released he was astounded to see the football shirt featured in one of the songs.
“It was certainly not what I was expecting. And for it to appear in what is one most biggest Bollywood movies ever was even more surprising.”
Filming for the movie had begun in October 1997 and it was a season when Rovers were making a resurgence in the Premier League under Roy Hodgson.
The mid-90s also saw Bollywood make a big impact in the UK with movies being shown in mainstream cinemas.
The movie’s success came on the back of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, made in 1995 which made household names of both Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.
The official video to Koi Mil Gya has been viewed 85 million times on YouTube.
Nisar attended his first Rovers match in 1972 and has followed them home and away.
He said he had fallen in love with the club ever since he arrived in the UK in 1969.
“I have sat in every corner of Ewood Park – old and new stadium.
“I was mad about Rovers growing up and I remember I was on air when Rovers won the league. I lost my voice. The following day I interviewed Alan Shearer which was great.
“When Venky’s took over I was delighted with the Indian connection. Although things didn’t work out at first I am still hopeful they will.
“We are certainly having a great season and I would love to see Rovers back in the Premier League.”
Nisar (above right) pictured in the nineties when he worked on the weekend show for BBC
Nisar said he took his son Yusuf to his first football match when he was 2-years-old, “He has never looked back since. He is a Rovers fanatic.”
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