18 Years Of Hum Tum EXCLUSIVE: “We had first approached Aamir Khan. At that point, he was going through his divorce; Hrithik Roshan had liked the script but declined as it was a time when he had delivered flops in a row” – Kunal Kohli 18 : Bollywood News

The much-loved romcom Hum Tum recently completed 18 years on May 28. Saif Ali Khan delivered one of the finest performances of his career in this film. The performance is loved so much that even today, it’s impossible to imagine any other actor playing Karan Kapoor in this movie.

18 Years Of Hum Tum EXCLUSIVE: “We had first approached Aamir Khan. At that point, he was going through his divorce; Hrithik Roshan had liked the script but declined as it was a time when he had delivered flops in a row” – Kunal Kohli

On Hum Tum’s 18th anniversary, Bollywood Hungama spoke exclusively to its director Kunal Kohli who shared interesting trivia about the film. He said that while getting Rani Mukerji as the lead actress was not difficult, finding the male lead was a challenge.

Kunal Kohli revealed, “We had first approached Aamir Khan. At that point, he was going through his divorce. He was so low that he was not able to even hear the narration. We then approached Hrithik Roshan. He liked the script but declined as it was a time when he had delivered flops in a row.”

Kunal Kohli continued, “When we approached Vivek Oberoi, usne pehle ‘haan’ bola, fir ‘naa’ bola aur fir wapis ‘haan’ bola! He said yes at first. When we went to get his dates, he walked out. Then after some time, he again showed interest. This time, we told him, ‘Nahin, rehne do’! Agar kisi ko kaam nahi karna hai, toh mat karo. Kisi se zabardasti kyun kaam karwana.”

These rejections took a toll on Kunal Kohli, “I feared the film would never be made. This is when producer Aditya Chopra told me that I should try Saif. He told me, ‘Tera har scene Saif ke saath kitna accha lagega. Think about it’!”

Kunal Kohli however had reservations as Saif Ali Khan had not worked ever a solo hero at the box office. Kunal Kohli stated, “I told Adi, ‘Baat toh sahi hai. Par picture dekhega kaun?’ However, he told me, ‘Woh mera problem hai. Tu picture bana’.” Saif Ali Khan then came on board and the rest is history.

Also Read: 18 Years Of Hum Tum EXCLUSIVE: “People felt that jab maine Hrithik Roshan ke saath hit film nahi di, toh Saif Ali Khan ke saath hit film kaise dega?” – Kunal Kohli