Sooraj Barjatya reveals not accepting Madhuri Dixit's request to cast her in Hum Saath Saath Hain with Salman Khan, says 'I was not comfortable'

Why was Madhuri Dixit not a part of Hum Saath Saath Hai?

Sooraj Barjatya’s 1999 film Hum Saath Saath Hain remains one of his most iconic works, achieving cult status over the years, with audiences still enjoying the film today on OTT platforms and television.

The film stars Salman Khan and Sonali Bendre in the lead roles, with Saif Ali Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Mohnish Bahl, and Tabu rounding out the cast.

In a recent chat with Radio Nasha, Sooraj Barjatya revealed that Madhuri Dixit had shown interest in being part of Hum Saath Saath Hain and was willing to play Salman Khan’s sister-in-law. However, Sooraj was hesitant about the idea, as he believed it would be challenging for the audience to accept them in different roles after their iconic romantic pairing in Hum Aapke Hain Koun.

He felt the previous connection would make it hard for viewers to see them in such contrasting roles.

Sooraj Barjatya mentioned, “I told her ‘Madhuri, I am making a male-dominated picture and if I cast you opposite Salman, then it is a very small role for you and if I cast you opposite Mohnish Bahl, then you will be playing bhabhi to Salman Khan." “She is such a lovely lady, she said ‘It doesn’t matter, it is a joy to work together.’ But then I said I will not be comfortable," he recalled.

Madhuri and Salman had become a popular on-screen pair following the massive box office success of Hum Aapke Hain Koun. Sooraj Barjatya, however, wanted to cast an actress who did not have any prior on-screen association with Salman, to maintain a fresh dynamic for Hum Saath Saath Hain.

“The whole debate was that Salman is a star so I had to cast someone who would be accepted as a bhabhi I so we cast Tabu, because Tabu came without any image," he further mentioned.

Salman Khan has been the central figure in many of Sooraj Barjatya’s memorable films, including Hum Aapke Hain Koun and Hum Saath Saath Hain. However, for Vivah, Sooraj chose to cast Shahid Kapoor instead. The director felt that he needed actors who appeared innocent and young, which led to the casting of Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao in the lead roles.