Deepak Tijori shares how he replaced Milind Soman in Aamir Khan's Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar: '75 percent film shoot bhi hogaye thi'
Deepak Tijori
recently shared how he unexpectedly stepped into the iconic role of Shekhar Malhotra in Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, replacing
Milind Soman
after nearly 75 percent of the film had already been shot.
From being initially rejected for the part to becoming a key reason the shelved film bounced back into production, Tijori's story is one of missed chances, serendipity, and second innings that turned into silver screen magic.
In a chat with Bollywood Bubble, Deepak revealed that Milind Soman was originally cast as Shekhar Malhotra in Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. Though Deepak had auditioned for the role, director
Mansoor Khan
initially didn't select him. He admitted feeling upset at the time, as he believed his performance was strong. However, he soon moved on and began working on other films — eventually landing Aashiqui, which became a turning point in his career. Later, during a brief production break in Ooty while
Mahesh Bhatt
was shooting Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin, fate took an unexpected turn.
He also shared that by the time Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar was in production, nearly 75% of the film had already been shot with Milind Soman in the role of Shekhar Malhotra. At the time, Deepak was unaware of any developments or issues on set, even though there were murmurs of problems. Since he wasn't involved in the project, he chose to stay focused on his own career — having already bagged Aashiqui and later Sadak, both offered by Mahesh Bhatt.
Deepak recalled being in a celebratory phase when Bhatt unexpectedly called him one evening and asked him to drop by his house. For Deepak, who was used to such spontaneous invites from the filmmaker, it seemed routine — until Bhatt asked him what he was doing the next day, hinting at something significant in the works.
The actor went on to reveal that Mahesh Bhatt had called him over one evening and unexpectedly told him to go meet Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar director Mansoor Khan. Bhatt informed him that
Aamir Khan
specifically wanted Tijori for the role of Shekhar Malhotra.
Initially, Deepak hesitated, but Bhatt, in his usual passionate style, insisted he take the meeting.
Deepak then met Mansoor and veteran producer Nasir Hussain. During the conversation, Nasir sahab simply told him that the role was his now. Deepak respectfully agreed, though he asked one lingering question — whether the actor being replaced was aware of the decision. Nasir replied that everything had already been taken care of.
He also shared a surprising revelation he learned decades after working on Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. During a recent conversation with Aamir Khan and director Mansoor Khan, he discovered that the film had actually been shelved at one point. Mansoor had fallen into a deep depression, believing he had wasted his father's money and failed the project. It was only after Deepak came on board—along with the real-life Rajput boys featured in the film—that production resumed.
Reflecting on this, Deepak said he has no regrets about how his career has unfolded and remains optimistic about the future.
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