Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit, both reigning stars since the 90s, have a significant presence in the hearts of many. They have collaborated in numerous films, and their on-screen chemistry was highly appreciated. However, they were once offered a film, and while both superstars agreed to participate, the director ultimately replaced them with two new actors due to their star power. The film went on to become a box office success.
The film in question is ‘Pardes,’ released in 1997, starring Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role. ‘Pardes’ also featured Mahima Chaudhry and Apurva Agnihotri in leading roles, along with established actors like Amrish Puri and Alok Nath. It was the debut film for both Mahima and Apurva.
Initially, the makers of ‘Pardes’ had considered Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit as their first choice for the film. Their casting was almost finalized, but director Subhash Ghai decided to change the star cast and replaced Salman and Madhuri with Apurva and Mahima. Mahima won the Best Debut Actress award for her performance in ‘Pardes.’ Both newcomers gained significant recognition from their very first film.
During an interview, Bollywood director Subhash Ghai discussed the film ‘Pardes’ and explained his decision to change the cast. He mentioned that he was under pressure after the failure of his film ‘Trimurti.’ There was a belief that a film with a large star cast would perform well. However, he chose Mahima and Apurva instead. The director wanted the audience to focus on the story of his film rather than the star power of the cast.
Interestingly, ‘Pardes’ was Subhash Ghai’s first film to be shot abroad. The film’s storyline, along with its songs, became a huge hit. The songs received so much love from the audience that the director later gifted two cars to the music directors Nadeem and Shravan.
