Shah Rukh Khan’s Kal Ho Naa Ho Crew Member Calls It Her ‘Worst Job Ever’, Says She Was Paid Less Than Men

Even two decades after its release, Kal Ho Naa Ho remains a timeless Bollywood classic — a film that continues to tug at heartstrings with its emotional storytelling and unforgettable performances by Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, and Saif Ali Khan. However, for one person behind the scenes, the experience of working on the film was far from magical.

A US-based influencer and former set designer, Ash Cantley, recently revealed that her time working on Kal Ho Naa Ho was so unpleasant that it made her quit the industry altogether.

“It Was So Bad I Switched Careers”

In a video shared on her Instagram account, Ash looked back at her early career in film design and described working on Kal Ho Naa Ho as the “worst job” of her life.

“I worked on the film

Kal Ho Naa Ho, and it was so bad that I ended up switching careers,” she recalled. “I had such a bad experience on that film that I probably tried to block it out. First of all, I got paid $75 (around ₹6,000) a day, and I’m talking 12 to 17-hour days. I was a set designer, which means I spent most of my time redesigning this diner, inch by inch.”

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A post shared by Ash Cantley| Talk Pop To Me (@ashcantley)

“The Men Were Paid More Than Me”

The influencer also spoke about the gender pay gap she experienced while working on the film, claiming that male crew members were paid significantly more for the same job.

“The men on set were getting $125 (around ₹11,000) a day,” she said, adding that the diner she worked on was “abandoned and filled with filth.” She described the conditions as “horrible” and called the experience “the worst job” she’s ever had.

Ash also mentioned that the film’s director, Nikkhil Advani, had pitched the project to her as “the Titanic of American films.” She accepted the offer because she was young and eager to break into the entertainment industry. “I was young, dumb, and desperate to get experience,” she said candidly.

“I’m Not Angry About It Anymore”

Despite her negative experience, Ash clarified that she doesn’t hold any resentment toward the production. “Back then, a lot of people were underpaid. It was the norm in the industry. I’m not angry about it now — I just wouldn’t do something like that again,” she said.

Sharing the video, she wrote in her caption, “I didn’t even realise I worked on one of the biggest Bollywood films ever until this weekend.”

The Legacy of Kal Ho Naa Ho

Released in 2003 and directed by Nikkhil Advani under Dharma Productions, Kal Ho Naa Ho remains one of Bollywood’s most beloved films. With its unforgettable music, heartfelt dialogues, and Shah Rukh Khan’s emotional performance as Aman, it continues to live rent-free in the hearts of fans across generations — even as stories from behind the scenes continue to surface, reminding audiences of the realities of filmmaking.