Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji's Hum Tum Was Almost Shelved? Yash Chopra Gave Small Budget, Reveals Director
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As Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji's beloved rom-com Hum Tum returns to theatres, Kunal Kohli reflects on how Yash Chopra initially doubted the project, gave it a minimal budget.
As Hum Tum gears up for its theatrical re-release, filmmaker Kunal Kohli is revisiting the rollercoaster journey behind the beloved 2004 romantic comedy. While the film has since become a cult favorite, starring Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji as a modern-day rom-com couple, its road to success was far from smooth.
In a candid conversation with Radio Nasha, Kohli revealed that Hum Tum wasn't well-received at first—at least not by critics. 'If you go back and read the reviews, there wasn't a single good one," he admitted. 'I was so scared, I didn't even have the courage to ask why people didn't like it."
Kunal also shed light on the film's shoestring budget, granted by the late Yash Chopra. 'We had a fixed budget of Rs 7.5 crore, and Yash ji told me—once this amount is used up, the film will release as is. That was the deal," he said.
To put that in perspective, other Yash Raj Films of the time had much larger budgets: Mujhse Dosti Karoge was made for Rs 17 crore, Dhoom for around Rs 16 crore, and Veer Zaara cost a whopping Rs 35 crore. Even Salaam Namaste, which came out just after Hum Tum, was budgeted between Rs 18-19 crore. 'And I had to shoot outdoor scenes in Delhi and abroad—within that limited amount," Kohli added.
One of the most debated elements during production was the use of animation. 'We had a Rs 2.5 crore allocation just for animation," he revealed. 'A lot of people said the story was strong enough and didn't need it. But we pushed ahead and found a new animation studio that did it for just Rs 50 lakhs. We shifted from 3D to 2D, used static backgrounds—basically got creative within our constraints."
The turning point came when Yash Chopra watched the final cut. 'He called me and Adi (Aditya Chopra) to his room. Adi warned me that I might get scolded. But Yash ji surprised us—he said, 'You were right, I was wrong. This is a beautiful film.' I started crying. He hugged me and said, 'I will proudly put my name on this.' That meant the world to me."
Despite all odds, Hum Tum went on to become a box office hit, and that same year, Kohli won the Filmfare Award for Best Director—ironically in a category that also featured Yash Chopra himself for Veer Zaara. 'I felt awkward," Kunal laughed. 'Just being nominated alongside him was enough for me."
Two decades later, Hum Tum remains a landmark rom-com in Bollywood, known for its charming characters, witty writing, and its iconic animated sequences—proving that sometimes, the biggest wins come from the smallest beginnings.
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