Salman Khan has been a part of many of Sooraj Barjatya’s memorable projects like Hum Aapke Hain Koun and Hum Saath Saath Hain. But when it came to casting for Vivah, he opted for Shahid Kapoor instead. This was because he wanted actors who looked innocent and young. As such, Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao were finally cast in the film.
In a chat with Digital Commentary, Sooraj Barjatya said, “After Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon flopped, Salman called and said ‘Let’s work on something’. But at that time, I didn’t have a story for Salman and this (Vivah) was a story that my father had given me.” Sooraj had decided early in his career that he “will not compromise”.
He added, “When I decided I wanted to make this, I knew Salman wouldn’t fit here because he was a major star… Isme bholapan chahiye, umar chahiye aur umar toh kisiki rukegi nahi. Toh fir yeh Shahid aur Amrita ki casting hui (This needed innocence and age, and age doesn’t stop for anyone. That’s how I cast Shahid and Amrita).”
However, Shahid was not fully on board with his casting and asked to be replaced. Shahid Kapoor recently expressed his love for Sooraj Barjatya, recalling how the filmmaker supported him during a tough period in his career. Despite facing a series of box-office flops, Shahid revealed that Sooraj Barjatya stood by him when he requested to be replaced in Vivah.
Shahid told Bollywood Hungama, “Sooraj ji told me, ‘If you know what to do in front of the camera, just do that and leave the rest to me’ and Vivah was my biggest hit at that time. He backed me and he had faith in me at that time. So that will always be my best memory of Sooraj Barjatya and Vivah.”
Vivah, which also starred Amrita Rao, became one of the top-grossing films of 2006 and marked a turning point in Shahid’s career. It is also one of the most memorable films of Amrita Rao’s filmography.
