Overview
- He tells Mid-Day his early dream cast paired Akshaye Khanna with soon-to-debut Hrithik Roshan and Abhishek Bachchan, a lineup that never materialized.
- Roughly 10 days before the shoot, Saif Ali Khan nearly walked out, leading the team to convene an emergency meeting.
- Akhtar says Aamir Khan intervened during the crisis, with outlets reporting differing versions of whether he offered to take the role or urged Akhtar to do it.
- Akhtar recalls approaching many stars who declined because few wanted multi-hero films at the time, while Saif considered a separate love-triangle project.
- He says scenes were drawn from his own life, including a Goa heartbreak and a solitary drive that later inspired a comic return journey in the film.