Farhan Akhtar, director of the cult classic Dil Chahta Hai, recently revealed surprising details about the film’s original dream cast and the personal inspirations behind the story, during an interview with Mid-Day. Farhan shared that the iconic trio who eventually starred in the film — Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Akshaye Khanna — were not his initial choices. Instead, his dream cast featured Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, and Akshaye Khanna. However, the trio never materialised. “It’s a young film about three young guys,” he said, explaining why he felt their combination would have been “amazing” when he first imagined the story.

“Dil Chahta Hai’s original cast was Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, and Akshaye Khanna,” reveals Farhan Akhtar

The process of finalising the cast was far from smooth. Farhan recalled that Saif Ali Khan backed out just 10 days before the film was scheduled to go on floors. Unsure of what to do next, he reached out to Aamir Khan for guidance. The actor assured him that if Saif did not return, he would step in to play Sameer himself. When asked whether Aamir saw potential in him as an actor back then, Farhan dismissed the idea. “He had no such feeling. His only feeling was that nobody else would understand this part like you’re understanding it.” Looking back, he said he is “really, really thankful” Saif eventually came back on board.

Farhan also shared how a real incident from his time in Goa found its way into the film. Before Dil Chahta Hai, he had been working on a book based on anecdotes from his trips to the seaside state. Although the manuscript was never completed and remains lost on an old computer from the late ’90s, several moments from those notes were incorporated into the screenplay. One of them stemmed from a difficult phase in his personal life.

He spoke about suffering a “serious heartbreak” in Goa and driving back to Mumbai alone, after having travelled there with someone else. “I know what that very painful journey of driving back from Goa alone is like,” he said. The experience inspired the humorous sequence in the film where Saif Ali Khan’s character is forced to make the long drive alone, albeit under very different circumstances.

Speaking of the professional front, Farhan Akhtar is currently busy promoting his recent release, 120 Bahadur.

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