Mansoor Khan reveals he removed Milind Soman from Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar and replaced Deepak Tijori after Aamir Khan said 'Throw these guys out'

Mansoor Khan reveals he removed Milind Soman from Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar and replaced Deepak Tijori after Aamir Khan said 'Throw these guys out'

In a candid recent interview with SCREEN, filmmaker Mansoor Khan opened up about the tumultuous journey behind the making of the 1992 classic Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar.

Known for his directorial debut Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Mansoor collaborated again with his cousin Aamir Khan for Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. However, as he revealed, the film almost never saw the light of day due to major issues with the original cast—one of whom was model-actor Milind Soman.

Mansoor admitted that the production was nearly derailed because of poor casting decisions. “I rejected the right actors and cast the wrong ones,” he confessed, noting that 60–70% of the film had to be reshot.

The team had already shot for over 40 days in Ooty, Coonoor, and Mumbai, including several songs, before realising that the film was going nowhere.

Without giving any names directly, Mansoor referred to the initial cast as “absolutely unprofessional.” He said, “They made life miserable, not just for me, but for the entire crew. The film was turning out really badly, and it also nearly stalled. I felt like giving up.”

But just as the story of the film centers on resilience and redemption, life seemed to imitate art. “The film’s story is about getting up and winning. So in a way, life was mirroring art,” Mansoor reflected. “We stayed quiet. We threw those guys out. They went to the press, said all kinds of nasty things about me and Aamir. But we didn’t respond. Our focus was clear—we had a film to make, and a good one. And in the end, the result is in front of you.”

The turning point came when Aamir Khan stepped in with support and clarity. Mansoor recalled being in a dark mental space, nearly at a breaking point. “I was in a really dark place then, depressed, on the verge of a breakdown. I used to wake up in the middle of the night crying during the shoot,” he said.

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It was Aamir who encouraged him to act decisively. “Aamir said, ‘Throw these guys out. We’ll make a good film.’” That decision changed the course of the film. One notable replacement was when Milind Soman, originally cast in a significant role, exited and was replaced by Deepak Tijori. “Some of those same people came back to me later, including Milind Soman. They didn’t understand filmmaking. They didn’t understand humility, or the director’s role, or that the film is bigger than any individual—bigger than the actor, the director, or the producer,” Mansoor said. He took full responsibility, adding, “Again, the mistake was mine. I shouldn’t have cast them.”

Despite the rocky start, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar eventually emerged as a cult classic. With a talented final cast including Aamir Khan, Ayesha Jhulka, Deepak Tijori, Mamik Singh, and Pooja Bedi, the film captured the imagination of a generation. Its story of ambition, rivalry, and personal growth—paired with a timeless soundtrack by Jatin–Lalit—continues to resonate with audiences decades later.