Karisma Kapoor says every single actress refused to work with Madhuri Dixit in Dil Toh Pagal Hai: ‘Yash Chopra and Aditya Chopra came to me, insisted I read the script’

It was not because these actresses had a rivalry with Madhuri but because of the fear of not keeping up her dance skills. Karisma shared, nobody wanted to dance with Madhuri Dixit. “That too in a competition dance.”

However, Karisma had a change of heart after she read the script. She shared, “I grew up watching Madhuri and have been such a great fan of her since Ek Do Teen. And then Yash Ji and Adi(tya Chopra) came to me again. They were like: ‘You have to do this movie. You hear the script.'” She revealed that not just her, but none of the actress had cared to read the script. They were all simply terrified to work against Madhuri.

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“When I heard the script, I was like, I have to do this and I must do it. It was also my mom who encouraged me to take up the film. She supported me in pushing myself in doing the dances we did. It was an iconic movie and the most memorable time working with Shah Rukh, Madhuri and Yash Ji.”

Speaking about bagging her first ever national award for the performance, Karisma shared, “I didn’t even think I could win a National Award. But the role was so unusual and so much ahead of its time… because normally during those days, you would be the heroine and you have to win the hero or you had to be the one who gets the guy and here was an actress during those days, who was on top of her game but was not getting the guy… the emotional scenes, and her character was felt by the audience. Nisha became this iconic figure.”

Interestingly, before Madhuri Dixit, Yash Chopra had approached Sridevi for the role of Pooja, but she didn’t find her role as substantial as Lamhe and she declined the offer. Similarly, after finalising Madhuri Dixit for the role of Pooja, Yash Chopra had a hard time finding his second female lead. The offer was first given to Manisha Koirala followed by Juhi Chawla, Kajol and Raveena Tandon, among others.

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Speaking to India Today, actress Manisha Koirala shared she regretted not taking up Dil Toh Pagal Hai. “One of the regrets that I have in my career is that I didn’t do Yash Chopra’s film. I was pitted against Madhuri ji, and I got scared. I backed out of that project.”

Later, when Raj Santoshi offered her a film Lajja in 2000, which too had Madhuri Dixit in the lead role, Manisha took it up immediately. She said, “I think when you have a strong maker, and when you are confident in your own skin, the security comes. I realised I didn’t want to make that mistake again because of my silly insecurities. I am so glad I did it. I am so proud of Lajja.”