In a surprising twist from Bollywood’s past, filmmaker Farah Khan has dropped a bombshell about her debut directorial venture, ‘Main Hoon Na.’ The 2004 blockbuster, starring Shah Rukh Khan, featured Sushmita Sen in the iconic role of Chandni, the glamorous college professor. But Farah revealed that Sushmita wasn’t her initial pick.
During a recent candid chat on her YouTube vlog with actress Simran Reddy, Farah disclosed that Simran was the first actress she envisioned for the part. ‘I first saw you in the music video ‘Aahista Ki Jiye,’ dressed in traditional Indian attire, looking absolutely stunning,’ Farah recalled. ‘I thought you’d be perfect as Chandni in ‘Main Hoon Na.”’
Simran, stunned by the revelation, asked why she didn’t get the role. Farah explained that circumstances had shifted by then. ‘Because you’d already done ‘Maine Dil Tujhko Diya’,’ she said, referring to Simran’s 2002 Bollywood debut opposite Sohail Khan. That film altered Simran’s image, steering the casting decision toward Sushmita Sen.
The disclosure left Simran elated yet wistful. ‘Main Hoon Na’ became one of the era’s biggest hits, grossing massively at the box office and launching Farah’s directing career with a bang. Sushmita’s elegant sari-clad looks as the sophisticated professor remain etched in fans’ memories.
Simran, meanwhile, went on to star in films like ‘Darna Mana Hai,’ ‘Musafir,’ ‘No Entry,’ and ‘Race.’ Post-COVID, she’s settled in Goa with her family, making occasional trips to Mumbai. This anecdote sheds new light on the behind-the-scenes decisions that shaped Bollywood classics.