Ajay Devgn-Raveena Tandon starrer Dilwale was first offered to Shah Rukh Khan, reveals director Karan Razdan: ‘Subhash Ghai said Ajay wasn’t presentable, Raveena had 12 flops’ | Hindi Movie News

Ajay Devgn and Raveena Tandon’s 1994 blockbuster Dilwale was not just a major success but also a turning point in their careers. However, director Karan Razdan recently revealed that his first choice for the film was none other than Shah Rukh Khan. In a conversation with Siddharth Kannan, Razdan shared how SRK opted out due to creative differences over the film’s ending.
Shah Rukh Khan was the first choice
Recalling his initial casting plans, Karan Razdan said, “The role that I gave to Ajay Devgn in the film Dilwale, was originally written for Shah Rukh Khan. I had gone to his house to narrate the story, and he liked the script. He just told me one thing, ‘Karan, at the end, the heroine should go with the other guy.’ I refused to change my film’s end. He refused to do it.”
Before Ajay was finalized for the lead role, he was already part of the project but was cast in another role that eventually went to Suniel Shetty. “I went to Ajay’s set and told him to do the other role. He readily accepted it. We then cast Suniel Shetty for the second hero role,” he revealed.
Subhash Ghai’s doubts
As the film neared completion, Razdan sought feedback from veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai. However, Ghai’s reaction left him taken aback. “He told me, ‘If you want to cry, cry right now, because you are anyway going to cry on the film’s release day.’ I asked why? He asked me, ‘Do you have any grudge against Ajay Devgn? He is not even presentable as a mad person.’ He couldn’t comment much on Suniel Shetty as he was relatively new in the industry. On the other hand, Raveena Tandon had delivered about 12 flops. People used to tease me, saying, ‘Tervi aapki hogi (13th will be yours)’.”
Despite doubts and criticism, Karan Razdan remained firm on his vision, and the film proved to be a massive hit. “First day, first show, the film was a super hit. Subhash Ghai called to congratulate me,” he recalled.

SRK acknowledges his mistake
Interestingly, even Shah Rukh Khan later acknowledged that his suggestion regarding the climax was not ideal. “When Shah Rukh met with me, he admitted that his suggestion wasn’t great and that I did the right thing by sticking to my plans,” Karan added.

With Dilwale cementing itself as one of the biggest hits of 1994, it remains a classic in Bollywood’s action-romance genre, proving that a filmmaker’s conviction can often lead to cinematic triumph.