Salman Khan and Suraj Barjatya’s Journey: Why Shahid Kapoor Was Chosen Over Salman for ‘Vivah’
Salman Khan and director Suraj Barjatya formed a successful director-actor duo early in their careers. Their first film together, ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’, was a massive hit, and they went on to work together in successful films like ‘Hum Aapke Hain Kaun’ and ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’. However, when Suraj decided to make the film ‘Vivah’, he felt that Salman would not be the best choice for the role. In a recent interview, Suraj explained why he cast Shahid Kapoor instead of Salman Khan for the film.
Why Shahid Kapoor Was Chosen for ‘Vivah’
While speaking to ‘Digital Commentary’, Suraj was asked why he chose Shahid Kapoor for ‘Vivah’, despite having worked with Salman in several films. Suraj explained, “When I decided to become a director, I promised myself I wouldn’t compromise.” He went on to say that work on ‘Vivah’ began after the failure of his previous film, ‘Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon’, which starred Kareena Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, and Hrithik Roshan.
Suraj shared, “Immediately after the failure of ‘Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon’, Salman called me and expressed his desire to work with me again. He said, ‘Come on, let’s do something together.’ But at that time, I didn’t have a story for Salman, and ‘Vivah’ was the story my father had told me.”
Salman Was Not Right for the Role
Suraj continued, “When I decided to make ‘Vivah’, I realized Salman wouldn’t be the right choice for the role because he had become such a big star.” He added, “The role required innocence and a certain age, and no one’s age stops. That’s why I chose Shahid and Amrita.”
Salman and Suraj’s Past Collaborations
Salman and Suraj had previously worked together on ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’, and during the shooting of the film in Rajasthan, Salman was accused of blackbuck poaching. In 2024, Lawrence Bishnoi’s supporters even opened fire on Salman’s house in connection with the same case. However, Salman and Suraj reunited for the 2015 film ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’, which starred Salman and Sonam Kapoor in the lead roles.
