28 November,2023 11:05 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Saif Ali Khan and Shah Rukh Khan in a still from Kal Ho Naa Ho
It's been 20 years since Nikkhil Advani's debut directorial 'Kal Ho Naa Ho' released in theatres. The film was one that made audience laugh, love, smile, dance, and cry. The film starred Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Saif Ali Khan, Jaya Bachchan in pivotal roles. However, it was not an easy task to get such a stellar cast on board. Most of the actors were not the first choice for the roles they later went on to essay. Saif Ali Khan who played the role of Rohit in the film was not the initial choice of the film.
According to the IMDb page of 'Kal Ho Naa Ho', before Saif Ali Khan, the role was offered to Abhishek Bachchan and Vivek Oberoi. However due to reasons unknown, the two actors refused to take up the role.
Not just Abhishek and Vivek, but Salman Khan was also offered to play the role of Rohit. Salman Khan allegedly rejected Saif's role because he didn't want to play second fiddle to Shah Rukh Khan after he did in 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'. Whereas, Saif agreed to do the role because he regretted missing out on Salman's role in 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'.
On the other hand, Shah Rukh Khan was the original and only choice to play the role of Aman. The character is that of a terminally ill person, who meets Naina (Preity Zinta) and teaches her the right way to enjoy life to the fullest. However, there was a time when Shah Rukh had decided to quit the film. In the book, titled SRK 25 Years of Life, written by Samar Khan, director Nikkhil shared an anecdote.
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Shah Rukh played the role of Aman, a terminally ill person, who meets Naina (Preity Zinta) and teaches her the right way to enjoy life to the fullest. The superstar was the perfect choice for hKal Ho Naa Hoh. However, there was a time when Shah Rukh had decided to quit the film. In the book, titled SRK 25 Years of Life, written by Samar Khan, director Nikkhil shared an anecdote.
Karan and Nikkhil weren't ready to let go of Shah Rukh and politely declined his suggestion. They said the script was written specifically keeping him in mind. Karan and Nikkhil proposed to postpone the shoot of the film if required.
