When Juhi Chawla spoke about the terrifying nightmares she had about her mother and how they turned into a reality.
Bollywood’s gorgeous actress, Juhi Chawla, is one of the most loved actresses of the 80s and 90s. Be it her charming smile or those lovely curls, Juhi captivated millions of hearts. The stunning actress has always been an effortless performer, and she has always done justice to all her roles. In 1984, Juhi won the Miss India beauty pageant and made her acting debut in 1986 with the film, Sultanat.
Juhi didn’t gain much recognition with her debut film, but it was her film, Qayamat Se Qayamat, opposite Aamir Khan, that made her an overnight star. With films like Yes Boss, Darr, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Ishq, and Lootere, she established herself as the leading actress in the Hindi film industry.
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While Juhi’s professional life skyrocketed, her personal life was filled with tragedies. Juhi Chawla lost her mother, Mona Chawla, while she was shooting for one of her most popular film, Duplicate. Juhi Chawla’s mother accompanied her to Prague for the shooting of Duplicate in 1998. Three days later, she met with an accident in Prague and passed away. It was the most traumatic phase for Juhi, who was very close to her mother.
However, Juhi often had nightmares about her mother’s death. In an excerpt from Roshmila Bhattacharya’s book, Spooked! Bollywood's Encounters With The Paranormal, Juhi talked about her first encounter with death when her mother passed away. At the age of 10, Juhi had nightmares about her mother’s death. Elaborating more on the same, the actress shared:
“I loved my mother a lot. Some nights I would have nightmares, and in the nightmares, I watched her die. It was never any other member of the family, only her. She would fall from a tall building or perish in a fire and I would wake up terrified, bathed in cold sweat, only reassured when I saw that my mother was safe and fine.”
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It was in 1998 when Juhi Chawal and her mother, Mona Chawla, traveled to Prague for the shooting of Duplicate. The next morning, Mona went for her usual morning walk and met with a hit-and-run accident and passed away. Mona Chawla’s death completely shattered Juhi, who was very close to her. She only wished it to be a nightmare like the ones she had during her childhood.
Earlier in an interview with Hindustan Times, Juhi Chawla spoke about her mother’s death. Elaborating on what exactly happened, the actress stated:
“We had reached Prague and it was Karan’s [Johar] birthday the next day, so my mother and I bought a gift for him. Next morning, before I went for the shoot, she left for a walk and never came back. It was very traumatic because just a day before we had reached there and three days later, after she met with an accident, we were bringing her back in a coffin. It was devastating for me.”
Apart from Juhi’s husband, Jay Mehta, Shah Rukh Khan was constantly with her during the tragedy. To forget about the tragic event, Juhi would work relentlessly. She would shoot day and night, and Shah Rukh would try to make her laugh. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Juhi once shared that Shah Rukh never left her side and consoled her throughout, as he knew the pain of losing a parent.
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After losing her mother, Juhi held up to her brother, Bobby Chawla, who was the CEO of Shah Rukh Khan’s company, Red Chillies Entertainment. However, in 2010, Bobby suffered a major stroke and went into a coma. After staying in a coma for four years, Bobby Chawla passed away in 2014. Juhi also lost her sister, Sonia, in 2012 after she succumbed to cancer.
Juhi Chawla has endured many tragic events in her life, which have only shattered her. Despite all this, she manages to entertain her. Behind her chirpy self lies a sea of emotions, which she never shows to the world.
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