Parmeet Sethi on post-'DDLJ' regrets: Recalls Aditya Chopra’s missed call of advice; 'It came too late'

Nearly three decades after 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' (DDLJ) became a timeless classic, actor Parmeet Sethi has opened up about the regrets and lessons that followed the film’s massive success.


Known for his memorable portrayal of Kuljeet who is the the arrogant fiancé of Kajol’s Simran, Parmeet revealed that he turned down several negative roles that came his way after the film. “All the roles that were offered to me were villain and negative roles, also not the main villain – villain’s son or brother, so I kept rejecting those,” he said in an interview with SCREEN. However, he later realised that being selective came at a cost. He admitted, “Once you’re out of sight, you’re out of mind.”


Aditya Chopra’s advice came too late




Parmeet recalled how Aditya Chopra once told him that he should have taken up every opportunity early in his career.


Parmeet humorously responded, “You should have picked up the phone and told me this na, you are the experienced one, not me.” The actor added that even when he did accept certain negative roles later, he was often sidelined due to fears that his performance might overshadow the main antagonist.


Fond memories of Yash Chopra’s guidance




Sethi also spoke fondly of his interactions with the legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra during 'DDLJ' and 'Badmaash Company'. He admired Yash Chopra’s non-interference in Aditya’s creative process and recalled his practical wisdom. “Picture fail nahi hoti, budget fail hote hain,” Yash ji used to say — a line Parmeet still cherishes. The actor reminisced about the warmth on the DDLJ sets, where Yash and Pamela Chopra brought homemade food.