Not only Suniel Shetty but even Zayed Khan and Amrita Singh were cast at the last moment. Read on to know who were other top contenders who were considered before them for the movie.
Choreographer-director Farah Khan has to face several rejections while making her directorial debut, Main Hoon Na (2004). The Shah Rukh Khan-starrer blockbuster action drama looks picture-perfect in every aspect, especially casting. However, multiple actors in this film, who played key roles in this movie, were added at the last moment.
Recently, Farah appeared on Mukesh Chhabra's talk show, The Bombay Dream, and was the first guest on the casting director's new show. In the episode, Farah revealed that her debut film was rejected by multiple actors, including a pan-India star. For Zayed Khan's Laxman Prasad Sharma, Farah approached Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, and Sohail Khan. Speaking about it, "Before Zayed, Hrithik was doing it. This was before Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. After the film released Hrithik-Hrithik ban gaya. Then I went to Abhishek Bachchan, but nahi ho paya, then Sohail Khan. Zayed ka casting ek dum last-minute mein hua."
After Zayed Khan, Farah revealed that even Suniel Shetty wasn't the first choice for antogonist, Raghavan. Before Suniel, Farah approached multiple actors, including Kamal Haasan. Farah said that Shah Rukh was confident that Kamal would do the film. "Naseerddin Shah ne na kaha. Then we went to Kamal Haasan. Shah Rukh told me 'Kamal sir will definitely do, I've done Hey Ram. Sir loves me, he'll do (the film)'. Kamal sir mere poore din pakaya Cheenai mein aur kuch nahi. Then I approached Nana Patekar, unhone bhi pakaya, but he gave me inputs, and I added that in the character."
Not only Zayed and Suniel, but even Amrita, who played Sanjana was cast at the last moment. Before Amrita Rao, Farah signed Ayesha Takia. Farah said, "Amrita bhi aaye 15 din pehle. Humne Ayesha Takia ko sign kiya tha, lekin phir Imtiaz Ali usse le gaya 5-din ke shoot Himachal Pradesh mein. 5 din ka 5 hafta ho gaya, and we haven't even done costume trials. Then, we have to go ahead we signed Amrita Rao. I saw her in a Cadabury commercial, and that's how she became Sanjana." On the work front, Farah's last directorial was Happy New Year (2014).
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 "Suniel Shetty in Main Hoon Na, the actor who was approached for the film")
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