Ajay Devgn, Raveena Tandon, and Suniel Shetty starred in the 1994 film Dilwale, which achieved significant box office success. Recently, the film's writer, Karan Razdan, disclosed in an interview with Siddharth Kannan that he initially offered the lead role to Shah Rukh Khan, who declined the opportunity. Razdan also shared that Subhash Ghai expressed skepticism about the film's potential, even facing ridicule from others who predicted it would mark Raveena's thirteenth failure.

Dilwale's writer reveals Shah Rukh Khan rejected the film

Karan recounted the casting process, stating, “The character I assigned to Ajay Devgn was originally intended for Shah Rukh Khan. I visited his home to present the story, and he appreciated the script. However, he insisted that the heroine should end up with another character. I refused to alter the film’s conclusion, leading him to say, 'If I can't make a sacrifice, then I won't participate.' Subsequently, I approached Ajay on set, and he accepted the role without hesitation. We then cast Suniel Shetty as the second lead.”

Subhash Ghai was unimpressed with Dilwale

After completing 80% of the filming, Karan screened the movie for Subhash Ghai, whose reaction was unexpectedly harsh. “He told me, ‘If you want to cry, do it now, because you will definitely cry on the release day.’ When I inquired why, he remarked, ‘Do you have a grudge against Ajay Devgn? He doesn’t even look convincing as a madman.’ He had little to say about Suniel Shetty, as he was still relatively unknown. Meanwhile, Raveena Tandon had experienced around 12 flops, and people would tease me, saying, ‘The 13th will be yours,’” Karan recalled.

Despite the initial doubts, the film was a commercial success upon its release, prompting Subhash to later congratulate Karan. Additionally, Karan remembered a moment when Shah Rukh Khan approached him, embraced him, and acknowledged that he was mistaken about wanting to change the film's ending, expressing relief that Karan had remained true to his original vision.

About Dilwale

Directed by Harry Baweja and penned by Karan Razdan, the romantic action film starred Ajay Devgn, Suniel Shetty, Raveena Tandon, and Paresh Rawal in prominent roles. It had a remarkable opening and became a blockbuster, securing its place among the highest-grossing films of the year.

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