The recent announcement of the film, Takrao, reportedly completed in 1986, being released as Hum Mein Shahenshah Koun 35 years on, is one more in a list of delayed projects. The film features Shatrughan Sinha, Rajinikanth, Hema Malini and Anita Raaj, and will arrive in a far different scenario from the era in which it was set to originally release.
Hema Malini stepped into Reena’s role following her quitting movies after her wedding. Anita Raj, Prem Chopra, Sharat Saxena, the late Amrish Puri and the late Jagdeep star in this Harmesh Malhotra directorial with music by Laxmikant–Pyarelal and lyrics by Anand Bakshi, and another legend is choreographer Saroj Khan.
Despite being complete, the movie was never submitted for certification at the time, because producer Raja Roy (actress Reena Roy’s brother) relocated to London for business, and also lost his young son. The director (known for the blockbuster Nagina) also passed away. The film has now undergone AI-assisted restoration, 4K remastering and 5.1 Surround Sound mastering.
Here are 10 more such movies, listed in order of the quantum of delay between launch and release!
Love In Bombay (Released in 2013) / Delay: 42 years
This film was complete in 1971. Actor-filmmaker Joy Mukerji was unable to release his film due to financial reasons. After his death in 2012, his son Munjoy found out that the film’s negatives had been meticulously maintained by his father through a yearly manual cleaning at a cold storage facility, Fazalbhoy Cold Storage, in Mumbai. Despite 30 to 40 percent damage, Munjoy extensively restored the film through cleaning, color correction and sound improvements. Featuring Joy, Waheeda Rehman and Kishore Kumar, the film had music by Shankar-Jaikishan. Interestingly, Joy had even directed the successful Chhaila Babu in 1977.
Aman Ke Farishtey (2016) / 24 years
Completed in 1992, this film featured Hema Malini with Dev Anand—Hema was his co-star in both Johny Mera Naam and Amir Garib, which are Dev’s two biggest hits ever, in that order. Aasif Shekh (of Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hai fame) and Ektaa (Mohnish Bahl’s wife) also co-starred. The music was by Bappi Lahiri. When the film released, Dev Anand was no more.
Love and God (1986) / 23 years
The legendary K. Asif, who made Mughal-E-Azam, had announced this film soon after. Featuring Sanjeev Kumar (replacing original choice Guru Dutt!) and Nimmi, and inspired by the Laila-Majnu legend, the film had music by Naushad. When it released, Sanjeev was no more, K. Asif had passed on in 1971, and Nimmi was 53! Asif had left the film incomplete and his widow, Akhtar Asif, decided to release the incomplete film with the help of producer-director-distributor K. C. Bokadia. They managed to salvage some usable portions from three different studios and pieced them together!
Naam (2024) / 20 years
The story revolved around Ajay Devgn’s character, who wants to rediscover his identity after losing his memory. The action thriller written and directed by Anees Bazmee also starred Sameera Reddy, Bhumika Chawla, and others, was launched in the wake of the success of Bazmee’s Deewangee (2002) with Devgn and was scheduled for a release in 2005. The film was originally titled Benaam and starred Priyanka Chopra Jonas in Sameera’s role. Himesh Reshammiya scored the music, while a new song was added by Sajid-Wajid.
Pakeezah (1972) / 16 years
This Kamal Amrohi film was a rare blockbuster among the delayed movies. Amrohi had married actress Meena Kumari in 1952 and made a film with her, Daaera, which had flopped. He wanted to make a film that would both establish him as a filmmaker and be a tribute to his wife. He started the film in 1956. In 1958, he began to reshoot it in color (and CinemaScope, the first such color film in India). Troubles arose and around 1964, the couple separated and the film was stalled. In 1969, Meena agreed to resume work and the filming was completed in November 1971.
Sanam Teri Kasam (2009) / 15 years
Producer Sudhakar Bokade and director Lawrence D’Souza, after Saajan and Sapne Saajan Ke, launched Sambandh in 1994 with Saif Ali Khan, Pooja Bhatt, Atul Agnihotri and Sheeba. Nadeem-Shravan and Sameer were repeated and the audio was released in 1995, but the film was stalled due to legal issues. The film was later scheduled for release as Yeh Pyar Hi To Hai but could never make it. It was finally released as Sanam Teri Kasam in 2009 (the title of a 1982 hit), and a new film with the same title was later released in 2016!
Mughal-E-Azam (1960) / 14 years
The first of two K. Asif films to face delay, this movie was also delayed in a piquant manner. The development of Mughal-e-Azam began in 1944, when Asif read a 1922 play called Anarkali, by playwright Imtiaz Ali Taj, which was set in the era of Emperor Akbar. Asif had originally cast Chandra Mohan, D. K. Sapru, and Nargis when shooting started in 1946 but the project faced multiple hurdles especially after Partition in 1947. A financier had migrated to Pakistan, Chandra Mohan died in 1949 and the cast was changed to Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Madhubala.
Mughal-e-Azam emerged as the highest-grossing Indian film, a distinction it held for 15 years until Sholay. It also was the first black-and-white Hindi film to be colorized in 2004 and was a success again. Its stage version has also become a global blockbuster in the second decade of the millennium. This play was produced by the same Shapoorji Pallonji Group that produced the film.
Meri Biwi Ka Jawaab Nahin (2004) / 10 years
After Chaalbaaz, this was to be director Pankuj Parashar’s second film with Sridevi. Akshay Kumar was chosen as the hero after hits like Mohra, Yeh Dillagi and Main Khiladi Tu Anari, and the Chaalbaaz team of Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Anand Bakshi was repeated. By the time the delayed film came to the theatres, Sridevi was on a sabbatical, Akshay a bigger name, Laxmikant and Anand Bakshi were no more, and the director had dissociated himself from the film. The movie was released with a climax cobbled up with duplicates of the lead pair!
Yeh Lamhe Judaai Ke (2004) / 10 years
Arguably even more disastrous than the above film, its filming was complete in 1994. It was an incomplete film revived using different body doubles and also new actors! The film was originally titled Jaadoo and featured Shah Rukh Khan and Raveena Tandon, both of whom had just made it very big in 1994 when the film began shooting. Reportedly, composers Nikhil-Vinay even used two of the tunes in their 2001 release, Tum Bin, assuming that Jaadoo was shelved!
Deewana Main Deewana (2013) / 10 years
This film had a personal connection: I first interviewed Priyanka Chopra (Jonas) while she was shooting for her debut (signed) Hindi film on a then- trunk-line! Directed by K.C. Bokadia and based on the Tamil film Priyamudan, it starred Govinda. The music was by Bappi Lahiri and a decade after its launch in 2003, songs by Anand Raaj Anand were added. The original title was Ek Haseena Ek Deewana. Reportedly, Priyanka supported the re-release despite being a big name with professionally international connections in 2013.
More Pages: Hum Mein Shahenshah Koun Box Office Collection
BOLLYWOOD NEWS - LIVE UPDATES
Catch us for latest Bollywood News, New Bollywood Movies update, Box office collection, New Movies Release , Bollywood News Hindi, Entertainment News, Bollywood Live News Today & Upcoming Movies 2026 and stay updated with latest hindi movies only on Bollywood Hungama.