The 2004 rom-com Hum Tum remains a classic in Bollywood’s romantic genre, known for its breezy storytelling and the National Award-winning performance by Saif Ali Khan. However, the journey to finding the perfect Karan Kapoor was a long one for director Kunal Kohli. In a recent conversation with SCREEN, he shared behind-the-scenes details about the casting process, revealing that the role was offered to several top stars, including Hrithik Roshan, before Saif Ali Khan eventually stepped in. According to Kunal, Hrithik was one of the actors who was genuinely impressed by the story. Kunal said, “Hrithik Roshan really loved the script. But he was just not ready to do it.” At the time, Hrithik was going through a difficult phase in his career. His 2002 collaboration with Kunal, Mujhse Dosti Karoge!, had not performed well at the box office. He was also uncertain about the reception of his upcoming work.
Kunal recalled Hrithik’s honest reaction, “Because he said, ‘I’m not sure how my character in Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon would come out or be accepted,’ which it wasn’t.” Despite his admiration for the project, Hrithik felt he wasn’t in the right headspace to take it on. Kunal quoted Hrithik as saying, “This film is pure gold! I don’t have the confidence to do it right now. I’m not in that space.”
Hrithik wasn’t the only star considered. Kunal clarified that while Aamir Khan’s name is often associated with the project, he never actually heard the script. He explained that Aamir was going through his divorce from Reena Dutta at the time and wasn’t in the right frame of mind. Another actor in the running was Vivek Oberoi, who was then a major star after the success of Company and Saathiya. However, after several discussions, Vivek also passed on the film.
Ultimately, the role went to Saif Ali Khan, who brought the character of the cartoonist Karan Kapoor to life alongside Rani Mukerji’s Rhea. Inspired loosely by When Harry Met Sally…, the film went on to become a box office success.
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