Were SRK-Kajol Mani Ratnam’s First Choice For Alai Payuthey? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )
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It’s hard to imagine a more iconic Bollywood pairing than Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. The duo, celebrated for their unforgettable chemistry in hits like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, were almost cast in Mani Ratnam’s Alai Payuthey. The filmmaker, renowned for his ability to craft visually poetic romances, revealed during an open forum at the G5A Retrospective that he initially envisioned his 2000 Tamil classic with SRK and Kajol. However, the dream project never materialized.
Mani Ratnam shared that while Shah Rukh Khan was on board and Kajol was the natural choice for the female lead, the project stalled due to a narrative challenge. This creative hurdle led him to shelve the idea and move on to another iconic film, Dil Se. Mani Ratnam eventually made Alai Payuthey with R. Madhavan and Shalini.
Mani Ratnam Had Not Cracked The Climax Of Alai Payuthey When SRK & Kajol Were On Board
Mani Ratnam’s Alai Payuthey became a landmark Tamil film, showcasing the story of a young couple navigating the challenges of love and marriage. Yet, the director initially conceived the film with a different cast and language. During a candid discussion at the G5A Retrospective, Ratnam disclosed his plans to create the movie with Bollywood’s beloved pairing of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.
SRK instantly loved the concept of Alai Payuthey, and Kajol seemed the perfect fit for the female lead. However, Ratnam struggled with a critical story element: the climax. Ratnam explained, “If you’ve seen Alai Payuthey it is built around one day and we keep going back to that one day, and when the accident happens and the wife is missing, and he is searching through it. So, that element I didn’t have it at that point in time. So, we shifted to Dil Se,” Mani Ratnam revealed. The film’s narrative hinges on a tragic accident that leads to a series of flashbacks that reveal the intricacies of the relationship.
While the climax eluded him during the initial conceptualization, Ratnam eventually solved the creative puzzle while working on Dil Se. However, the circumstances had changed by then, and he opted to bring the story to life in Tamil with R. Madhavan and Shalini in the lead roles. The Hindi remake, Saathiya, directed by Shaad Ali, became a hit starring Vivek Oberoi and Rani Mukerji. While Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol never got to star in Alai Payuthey, their absence didn’t dim the film’s legacy, which remains a cornerstone of Indian cinema.
