Hrithik Roshan narrated Kal Ho Naa Ho’s script to Preity Zinta, Yash Johar flew cast and crew from Toronto to New York, recalls Nikkhil Advani

Nikkhil Advani’s directorial debut, Kal Ho Naa Ho, remains one of the most cherished films of his career. During a recent interaction, the filmmaker shared some fascinating anecdotes about the making of the film, including a pivotal moment when producer Yash Johar flew the entire cast and crew from Toronto to New York at Nikkhil’s insistence. He also revealed an intriguing connection between Preity Zinta joining the cast and Hrithik Roshan.

Speaking with Mirchi Plus, Nikkhil revealed that it wasn’t him or Karan Johar who narrated the script of Kal Ho Naa Ho to Preity Zinta—it was Hrithik Roshan. Elaborating on the incident, he said, “The film had its own destiny. Preity Zinta was doing Koi Mil Gaya at that time with Hrithik Roshan. She was shooting for the film in Calgary, Canada. Hrithik had narrated Kal Ho Naa Ho’s script to her. We weren’t even there. Either Shah Rukh or Karan called Preity and told her that Hrithik had heard the script, so would it be okay if he narrates it to her?”

Nikkhil also praised Yash Johar for his extraordinary dedication as a producer and filmmaker, recounting a memorable instance during the shoot. “We shot for the film in Toronto for nine days. I was depressed. Yash Johar asked me why I was depressed. I told him, ‘Yash ji, we are writing a film about New York, and we are shooting in Toronto. What is this?’ We packed up and flew to New York. Where does this happen these days?” he said.

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Kal Ho Naa Ho starred Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta in lead roles. It was recently re-released in theatres, and videos of audiences singing and dancing to its iconic tracks have gone viral on social media. The film, which was both critically acclaimed and a box office hit at the time of its release, has cemented its legacy as a timeless classic.