Except for SRK and Sushmita Sen, all the actors in key roles came on board at the last moment.
"In almost all my films, I faced problems with respect to casting actors." - Farah Khan
It was April 30, 2024 - exactly 20 years ago - 'Main Hoon Na' happened to Indian cinema. This wasn't just another Bollywood masala film that people would watch in the theatres and then forget. Rather, it was simply a rollercoaster ride of entertainment that took one and all by storm, making them come back to theatres again and again.
SRK and Zayed Khan in a still from ‘Main Hoon Na’
What worked so well about 'Main Hoon Na', directed by Farah Khan, was that it was a complete package offering something for everyone. Be it comedy, action, drama, thrill, romance, or emotions - you name it! And it also proved Shah Rukh Khan is a complete actor who can do absolutely everything on the screen. You want him in his typical romantic avatar? Well, there's his captivating chemistry with Sushmita Sen. You want him to set the screen on fire with his dance skills? Well, there are a couple of numbers that do exactly the same. And you want him to do no-brainer action sequences? Well, he flies almost like a superhero, chases a four-wheeler with a rickshaw, beats the villain bare-handed, and whatnot!
(Credit: Red Chillies Entertainment)
But also, it's not all about SRK as the other characters hold immense significance in the narrative as well. However, interestingly, director Farah Khan had to struggle a lot in casting actors in those roles. As the world celebrates the 20th anniversary of 'Main Hoon Na', let's have a look at the actors who rejected the film.
Yes, Hrithik Roshan was the first choice of Farah Khan for Zayed Khan’s role. This was before 'Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai' happened, and Roshan agreed to do the part. However, the 2000 film became a superhit, making Roshan an overnight superstar. Hence, he decided to opt out of 'Main Hoon Na'.
Hrithik Roshan and Amisha Patel in ‘KNPH’
No, Zayed Khan was not even the second choice for the role of Lucky. After Roshan opted out, Farah approached Abhishek Bachchan, Farhan Akhtar, and Sohail Khan for the part, and all of them turned it down. Just one month before the shooting began, Zayed Khan came on board, and the rest is history!
In the director's own words, "I initially wanted to cast Ayesha Takia for Amrita’s role, but then Imtiaz Ali took her for Socha Na Tha. She told me that she is going for five days, but she didn’t come back for five weeks. Then I started looking for another female lead."
Finally, Amrita Rao came on board just 15 days before the film’s shooting.
Sushmita Sen as Miss Chandni was a major highlight of 'Main Hoon Na'. Her chemistry with SRK worked brilliantly in the film, leaving the audience yearning for more. However, Sen wasn't the first choice of the director for the role.
Farah initially approached Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for it, but that didn't work out.
Farah Khan wrote the antagonist character, Raghavan (played by Suniel Shetty), keeping Naseeruddin Shah in mind. But the veteran actor couldn't do it as he was occupied shooting for 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'.
Naseeruddin Shah Shah later made a cameo appearance as SRK's father.
After Naseeruddin Shah turned it down, Farah Khan approached Kamal Haasan for the same. In Farah's words, "... then we went to Kamal Haasan. Shah Rukh told me, ‘Sir will definitely do it. I had done Hey Ram, sir loves me, he will do it.’ Kamal sir ne mujhe pura din pakaya and phir nahi kiya (He denied doing the role)."
(Credit: Raaj Kamal Films International)
Nana Patekar was also approached for the role of Raghavan. But he "sat on it for a week and said no."
Suniel Shetty as Raghavan in ‘Main Hoon Na’
Finally, Suniel Shetty agreed to do the part, leaving a lasting impact on the audiences' minds.
'Main Hoon Na' turned out to be a massive critical and commercial success. It became the second highest-grossing Indian film of 2004 and received 12 nominations at the 50th Filmfare Awards.
