Akshay Kumar wasn't the first choice for Jaanwar: Suneel Darshan
Filmmaker Suneel Darshan recently opened up about the behind-the-scenes casting decisions that shaped his 1999 film 'Jaanwar'. In an exclusive interview with India Today, Darshan revealed that action star Akshay Kumar was never the original choice for the lead role. 'Jaanwar' was initially meant to feature Sunny Deol, and later, Ajay Devgn, who was almost finalised."Jaanwar was not written for Akshay,' Darshan began. 'The film was originally planned with Sunny Deol. We were nearly set to go ahead when we had a fallout over some very ugly issues. Those issues are still pending. So I decided to move forward and find someone else.'advertisementThat someone, it turns out, was Ajay Devgn - who was not only a top star at the time but also nearly finalised for the part. 'Ajay and I met on a Saturday and agreed on the film. We were supposed to finalise everything that Monday, but Sunday changed everything," Darshan recalled.
On that Sunday morning, Darshan received an unexpected call. 'It was from someone I had never met before—Akshay Kumar. He was very keen to meet immediately. I invited him over, and he said he wanted to do 'Jaanwar'. He asked me, 'Would you consider making the film with me?''Darshan admits he was unsure at first. 'Akshay was going through the worst phase of his career at the time. But I thought, 'Here's a good-looking, disciplined actor willing to give 100% of himself.' He even told me, 'Sir, I will offer you 100% of myself.' That stayed with me.'advertisementDespite the commercial risk, Darshan decided to trust his instincts and cast Akshay. 'I knew I couldn't make money on his name then, but I believed in my ability to bring out his potential. I felt we'd strike a good rapport—and that would reflect on screen.'The casting of the female leads also saw some changes. Karisma Kapoor, then a reigning star, came on board with zero hesitation. 'She didn't flinch. She just said, 'Of course. Why not?'' Darshan shared. Kajol, who was also supposed to be part of the project, had to step away for personal reasons.'Kajol was initially meant to be there too. In fact, both she and Ajay were supposed to be part of the film. But as destiny would have it, Ajay and Kajol decided to get married around that time. Tanuja ji called and informed me that it would be difficult for Kajol to do the film. I appreciated her honesty and professionalism. That led to Shilpa Shetty joining the cast, and the rest, as they say, is history.Released in December 1999, 'Jaanwar' marked a turning point in Akshay Kumar's career. You May Also Like
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