When Shah Rukh Khan almost made his Malayalam debut to steal Juhi Chawla from Mohanlal and Mammootty: ‘He was supposed to appear at the end and…’

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As some of you might have already guessed, the film in question was director Fazil’s 1998 blockbuster mystery buddy comedy Harikrishnans, starring Mohanlal and Mammootty in the titular roles, with Juhi Chawla as the female lead. Juhi played Meera, the woman both Hari (Mammootty) and Krishnan (Mohanlal) fall in love with. Fearing backlash from fans depending on whom Meera ended up with, the makers devised a unique solution and decided to film two climaxes. In one, she chooses Hari, and in the other, she ends up with Krishnan.

“When making the film, I didn’t want people saying I favoured Mohanlal or Mammootty. At the same time, I had to consider their fans as well. The real dilemma was, who would end up with Juhi Chawla’s character? If Mammootty got her, Mohanlal’s fans would be upset, and vice versa. The idea of two endings came from that curiosity. You could even call it a mischief. We shot one version where Mohanlal gets her, another where Mammootty does. We also filmed a version where it wasn’t revealed who she chose. There were a total of 32 prints. I resolved the issue by saying, ‘Let Mohanlal get her in 16 prints and Mammootty in the remaining 16,’” Fazil once recalled in an interview.

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While the filming of Harikrishnans was underway in Ooty, Shah Rukh Khan was also in town, shooting for one of his projects. Given his close friendship with Juhi, the two met frequently. Fazil shared, “After shooting, Juhi would meet Shah Rukh every evening and tease him, saying, ‘What are our Hindi sets compared to this one? This is the real set! You should meet the director, meet the artistes! What a homely atmosphere!’ Eventually, Shah Rukh told me, ‘I want to be in this film, even if it’s just for one shot.’ But I didn’t know how to incorporate him.”

However, another idea occurred to the “mischievous” Fazil, who thought, what if neither Hari nor Krishnan ended up with Meera, and she had a secret lover who ultimately became her life partner? “While I was struggling to decide whether Mammootty or Mohanlal should get Juhi, I thought of having Shah Rukh appear at the end, walking away hand in hand with her. But I felt it would seem too artificial, so I dropped the idea,” he explained.

Interestingly, Shah Rukh was also the initial choice for another role in the film, Guptan, Meera’s friend whose murder forms the crux of the mystery. However, due to his packed schedule, the plan didn’t materialise, and the role went to cinematographer-director Rajiv Menon instead.

Nonetheless, just imagine how incredible it would have been to see all four legends — Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, Mohanlal and Mammootty — sharing the screen, not just in a single frame like the photo taken on the movie’s set. If only Fazil had gone ahead with that “secret lover” twist! Guess we weren’t lucky enough as an audience to witness that version of Harikrishnans.