Truth behind Tezaab: How Boney Kapoor and N. Chandra built the Anil Kapoor-Madhuri Dixit classic

Debunking Aditya Pancholi’s recent claim that he lost the lead role in N. Chandra’s iconic Tezaab due to “internal politics,” a source very close to the film — who prefers not to be named (“Not worth it”) — has laughed off the suggestion, calling it pure imagination.

 

Truth behind Tezaab: How Boney Kapoor and N. Chandra built the Anil Kapoor-Madhuri Dixit classic

 

“Umar ho gayi hai, and he’s jobless, so he’s sitting at home cooking up conspiracy theories,” the source quips. “There isn’t an iota of truth to Pancholi’s claims. It was always Anil Kapoor for Tezaab — right from the time the concept poster was designed.”

 

The insider reveals that the film’s initial concept poster was inspired by Walter Hill’s Streets of Fire, and it featured Anil Kapoor’s face from the very beginning. “So where did Pancholi — or any other actor — come into the picture?” the source asks with amusement.

 

Interestingly, the entire project was put together by Boney Kapoor, who was immediately taken by N. Chandra’s one-line pitch: “A violent love story.” “The concept of a violent love story appealed to Boney. He told Chandra to develop it further,” the source adds.

 

When Tezaab began, there was no Madhuri Dixit, no Javed Akhtar, and no Laxmikant-Pyarelal on board — only Anil Kapoor. “Boney brought them all in. The film was originally meant to be a raw, rugged, visceral, small-budget drama. The commercial elements came in later,” the source explains.

 

Incidentally, Boney Kapoor also played a pivotal role in shaping Madhuri Dixit’s early career. “He virtually constructed her stardom,” says the insider. “Boney recommended Madhuri’s name for at least 15–16 Anil Kapoor projects, which didn’t go down well with some of the other leading ladies.”

 

The source also reveals an interesting nugget about Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Parinda. “The original choice for the female lead was Dimple Kapadia. When Dimple opted out — for reasons we won’t go into — it was Boney who suggested Madhuri’s name instead.”

 

As the source sums it up, Tezaab was always an Anil Kapoor vehicle — from concept to completion — and claims to the contrary are, quite simply, “revisionist fantasy.”

 

Also Read: Aditya Pancholi claims he lost Tezaab to Anil Kapoor due to industry lobbying in cryptic note: “Politics in the film industry runs deeper”

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