Farah Khan casting choices for Main Hoon Na have always intrigued Bollywood fans, and the story behind the popular film’s cast is filled with surprises. Speaking in recent interviews and retrospectives, Farah Khan detailed how initial actors, including Ayesha Takia and Hrithik Roshan, were considered for pivotal roles before the final cast was decided just days before filming began.
How the Role of Sanjana Was Initially Offered to Ayesha Takia
Shah Rukh Khan starrer Main Hoon Na is celebrated as an iconic Bollywood movie and marks the directorial debut of Farah Khan in 2004. While SRK and Sushmita Sen led the film, Amrita Rao’s portrayal of Sanjana Bakshi became a fan favorite. However, Farah Khan has openly shared that Amrita was not her first choice for this role. In a conversation with Rajeev Masand on the Picture Ke Piche audio show, she revealed that Ayesha Takia was signed for the character of Sanju after an impressive audition.
“For the role of Sanju, we signed Ayesha Takia. I loved her test. She had acted fabulously. She told us, ‘I am just going for a three-day shoot for Imtiaz Ali’s movie (Socha Na Tha) to Manali. I’ll be back in a week, after which we will do costume trials,”
—Faraj, Appearance on Picture Ke Piche
The shooting schedule soon faced challenges when Ayesha Takia’s short trip stretched much longer than anticipated. The delay left Farah Khan and her team in a bind as filming approached. Ayesha’s trip for Imtiaz Ali’s Socha Na Tha extended from a planned three days to over a month, forcing a last-minute casting change. Farah eventually noticed Amrita Rao in a commercial and, despite being underwhelmed by her initial audition, decided to cast her as Sanjana Bakshi.
“We kept waiting and waiting. Those three days got extended to one month. She didn’t come back. We were like, ‘We have to shoot in 10 days!’ This is when we got Amrita Rao. I saw her in a commercial. I wasn’t overwhelmed by her audition, but when I saw through the camera, there was something about her. She has a very fragile face. I was looking at a feistier girl. This one was very pretty. Nevertheless she proved her worth, ‘She would nail it at every take while others would f**k up,”
—Faraj, Appearance on Picture Ke Piche
Unexpected Casting Journeys for the Film’s Male Leads
Casting challenges extended beyond the female leads. Farah Khan, in a discussion with casting director Mukesh Chhabra on The Bombay Dream, reflected on the tough decisions and shifting possibilities during the casting of Main Hoon Na. She highlighted the absence of professional casting directors at the time and described how she and her assistants managed the roster.
“I always face casting challenges for my films except for Shah Rukh Khan. He always agrees to do my films. During Main Hoon Na, we didn’t have casting directors, and me and my assistants used to cast people.”
—Farah Khan, Interview with Mukesh Chhabra
Shah Rukh Khan and Sushmita Sen were the only confirmed cast members for a long time. The parallel lead played by Zayed Khan was originally intended for Hrithik Roshan, even before his blockbuster debut in Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. Hrithik’s rapid rise to stardom, however, led him to withdraw from the project. Farah then approached Abhishek Bachchan and Sohail Khan for the same role, but both invites did not materialize into confirmations.
“Except for Shah Rukh Khan and Sushmita Sen, whom I had told long ago that I will cast in my film, we had no confirmed actors. Zayed Khan came on board at the last minute. The first choice for Zayed’s role was Hrithik Roshan. This was before Hrithik’s debut film Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai had been released. After the film, Hrithik became Hrithik, and he left,”
—Farah Khan, Interview with Mukesh Chhabra
“I also approached Abhishek Bachchan for Zayed’s role, but that didn’t work out. Then I approached Sohail Khan, but that also didn’t work out. Just one or two months before the shooting of Main Hoon Na, I went to see Zayed’s film in a theatre. He had a good smile and thought he was charming,”
—Farah Khan, Interview with Mukesh Chhabra
Amrita Rao’s Final Selection and Suniel Shetty’s Villainous Role
Amrita Rao signed onto Main Hoon Na just two weeks before filming began. Farah Khan recounted how Ayesha Takia’s commitment to another film necessitated a search for someone new. Farah’s last resort led her to recognize a unique quality in Amrita Rao, prompting her to make the casting decision swiftly.
“Amrita Rao came on board just 15 days before the film’s shooting. I initially wanted to cast Ayesha Takia for Amrita’s role, but then Imtiaz Ali took her for Socha Na Tha. She told me that she was going for five days, but she didn’t come back for five weeks. Then I started looking for another female lead.”
—Farah Khan, Interview
Other key casting choices carried similar stories of near-misses. For the iconic villain’s character, Farah Khan reached out to accomplished performers like Nana Patekar, Kamal Haasan, and Naseeruddin Shah. Ultimately, Suniel Shetty was chosen for the negative role, cementing the charisma and intensity that his character brought to the film.
Legacy and Impact of Main Hoon Na’s Casting
The unexpected casting stories are now part of Main Hoon Na’s legacy. Farah Khan’s decisions not only assembled a memorable ensemble led by Shah Rukh Khan and Sushmita Sen, but also introduced new talent and faces in Bollywood. The changes in casting, from Ayesha Takia’s initial involvement to Amrita Rao’s breakthrough moment, and the selection of Zayed Khan over other leading men, show how serendipitous events and last-minute choices defined the film’s final shape. Main Hoon Na’s enduring popularity proves that sometimes, the best outcomes emerge from the most unpredictable beginnings.
