30 years ago, Main Khiladi Tu Anari, proved to be a big blockbuster film. It was released on September 23, 1994, starring Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, and Shilpa Shetty in lead roles. The film was one of the top 5 highest-grossing films of that year and was a huge success at the box office. Main Khiladi Tu Anari collected more than Rs 11 crore at the box office. But, did you know that Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan were the first choice for this film?
When the casting of the film was going on, Shah Rukh Khan showed an interest in Main Khiladi Tu Anari and he wanted to play the role of Michael J Fox which was in the original Hollywood film The Hard Way. But, when he came to know that Akshay Kumar had been cast for the role of James Woods in the film, Shah Rukh Khan left the movie. He believed that with Akshay Kumar's presence, 50% of the attention of the film would be divided.
Shah Rukh Khan was also reportedly upset with the casting of Akshay Kumar for the role of James Woods as he thought that an older actor like Naseeruddin Shah or Om Puri could have been a better fit. Shah Rukh Khan allegedly thought that the film lacked depth and was being made purely as a comedy movie.
Similarly, Salman Khan was first chosen for the role played by Saif Ali Khan. However, at that time Salman Khan was already shooting for four other films, due to which he had to reject the offer. After this, Saif Ali Khan was finally cast and it was this role that made him a mainstream star.
This film proved the pairing of Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan to be a hit once again. Earlier, their film Yeh Dillagi had also performed well at the box office. Main Khiladi Tu Anari's success cemented Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar's status as Bollywood's leading men.
Main Khiladi Tu Anari's famous song Chura Ke Dil Mera proved to be a super hit and was later recreated in the 2021 film Hungama 2.
Shilpa Shetty kept the original signature steps of the song and used it as a tribute to late choreographer Saroj Khan. Apart from this, the sample of Chura Ke Dil Mera was also used in the soundtrack of the Hollywood film V for Vendetta.
