When Karisma Rejected ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’, But Destiny Had Other Plans

Destiny plays a very important role in life. Karisma Kapoor had made her acting debut in Bollywood at the age of 17 with the romantic drama ‘Prem Qaidi’ (1991). Belonging to the first family of Bollywood, the Kapoors, the actress went on to work in many films till mid-90s and tasted reasonable success as well. But Karisma’s potential as a serious and intense performer was recognised with the release of ‘Raja Hindustani’ (1996). It was a major critical and commercial success, and she went on to win her first prestigious Filmfare Best Actress Award for it. And after a string of releases, the actress delivered one of the best performances in her career in late filmmaker Yash Chopra’s musical romantic drama ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’. The film starred Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit playing the lead roles, but Karisma’s character Nisha won everyone’s hearts with her exceptional performance.
The role of Nisha was earlier offered to actresses Raveena Tandon, Juhi Chawla, Kajol, Manisha Koirala, Urmila Matondkar and Shilpa Shetty, but all of them turned it down. And it was then, that Karisma took it up. However, Karisma was always one of the first choices for the role and not the last, but actually the first one to be offered the role. But she had rejected it then. What made destiny finally turn around and make her accept the same? She revealed the same in Karan Thapar’s ‘Face to Face’. (Also Read: Did you know? Kareena herself was an inspiration behind Poo’s character in ‘K3G’)
She said on the show, “Like you say it’s destiny because I must tell you that I was offered ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’ earlier, much earlier and I was like Yash uncle (Yash Chopra) I have, you know like I don’t I’ve much to do and anyway than that fizzled out and it went to all the other actresses. Every other actress in the Indian film industry and finally it came back to me and when it did, like my mum, my sister and me were like there has to be something to it. I mean it’s made an entire circle, it’s come back. I think you used do it because it’s meant for you and when I heard the role again, when it was revised and the entire script was ready, I was like this is me, I have to play Nisha.”
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