25 Years Of Josh: 'Aishwarya Was Correct For The Role' - Mansoor Khan Recalls Kajol Refusing To Play SRK's Sister

It has been 25 years since Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Chandrachur Singh, and Priya Gill starrer Josh hit theatres. Directed by Mansoor Khan, the film, which was released on June 9, 2000, is a memorable and unusual film notable for its unique blend of genres and casting choices.

The film features Shah Rukh and Aishwarya as brother and sister, a departure from their romantic roles that we saw in Yash Chopra's Mohabbatein and Devdas, but, of course, these two movies were released after Josh. While Mohabbatein hit screens the same year as Josh, in October, Devdas came two years later.

Obviously, this fresh sibling pairing generated considerable buzz in the industry and also among cinema-goers and movie buffs. The film explores themes of gang violence and family in a Goa setting, with some plot elements inspired by the musical West Side Story. It was not a regular action-romance drama, and the most unusual part was its casting as it had Shah Rukh in the lead as Max, whose twin sister Shirley (played by Aishwarya Rai), falls in love with his arch rival (Chandrachur Singh).

While Aishwarya was the final pick to play sister to Shah Rukh's Max, Mansoor's first choice was Kajol. Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol have shared the screen in several blockbuster films, including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Baazigar, Karan Arjun, and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Their on-screen chemistry, portraying romantic pairings, was immensely popular with audiences.

Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan (Photo: IANS)

Obviously so, Kajol had quite the firm 'no' as a response when she was offered the role as she and Shah Rukh were at the peak of their on-screen romance. Playing sister to him then would have definitely shocked audience sensibilities at the time. She didn't want to jeopardise her career when she was at the top of the game.

However, Mansoor still wonders why Kajol refused to play Shah Rukh's sister. Recalling the complex casting process, he says, "Yes, I had Kajol in mind. Her pairing with Shah Rukh in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was so strong, and therefore, for her, that was an ultimate sacrilege, which I absolutely don't believe. In fact, I like to break the rules because then what is the point? In Mother India, how did Nargis play Sunil Dutt's mother, and why is it a classic? So if you know what you are doing... I don't know what her (Kajol's) reason was. She politely declined, and I moved on," says Mansoor.

Mansoor also helmed the blockbuster and his directorial debut, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988). Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992) and Akele Hum Akele Tum are his other two very successful films. Except for Josh, his other films had his cousin, actor Aamir Khan, in the lead. In 2003, Mansoor moved to Coonoor to pursue his real calling - living on an organic farm. His present pursuit is critiquing civilisation as the single human culture behind the convergent global crisis, often erroneously blamed on all humans.

So, how did Aishwarya come into the mix? How did he convince her? Mansoor explains, "Then, I realised that maybe nobody will want to play Max's sister, but thankfully Aishwarya agreed to do the film. She was thoroughly professional. I feel that Josh was her best film. She was very keen to work with us, I didn't have to convince her. She was absolutely correct for the role, she suited the part so well."

With changing times and people's perspective, Mansoor feels, today the audience reacts to his films differently. "If you follow the comments on social media, which I have been doing with Akele Hum Akele Tum and Josh. The reception of Akele Hum Akele Tum then was "How can the wife leave her husband and child. But if you read the comments now, it is completely different. So people's perspective and acceptance have changed. Earlier, for Josh, the comments were - 'Oh, Aishwarya and Shah Rukh playing twins is so weird, they don't even look alike. But now people don't bother about these things, they write more relevant stuff now," he says.

While Shah Rukh as Max definitely led the film, in terms of plot, Max and Shirley were as important as each other in Mansoor's eyes: "My thought was that both characters are equally important. I could have taken a struggling actress, not Aishwarya Rai; but in my mind, they are parallel in their importance in the script," he says.

Every actor Mansoor approached was like the character of Max, he says. "Max is a very charismatic character. But when I approached Shah Rukh and asked him if he would do the film, he said, 'No, because I know that you are going to give this part to Aamir (laughs). I was not telling the actors what part they would play when I was narrating the script to them. I knew that there was a hitch here. It didn't work out in the end." (As Aamir didn't play the part of Aishwarya's lover).

Aamir Khan (Photo: IANS)

He continues, "But personally, I feel it is better that Chandrachur played it. Aamir would have been a misfit in that role because Aamir is too much of a star. When Shah Rukh's character Max bullies him, they would have expected Aamir to hit back, but that was not expected from a submissive and good principled person that Chandrachur played."

Mansoor further explains, "This was before Akele Hum Akele Tum. I narrated the story to Aamir, and he is thinking that he is playing Max and when I finished narration to Shah Rukh, he said, 'Ya, in that scene Max can do this and he can do that. So, of course, I always wanted him for Max, but I didn't tell him. I just asked him if he was doing the film. I didn't tell either of the two what part they are playing."

Both Shah Rukh and Aamir were at the peak of their careers then. Did the rivalry between them make things difficult for Mansoor when it came to casting? "There is a feeling among big stars that I cannot do this part, though Aamir has broken it many times. He has been quite daring and has played a role which required him to put on a lot of weight, like in Dangal. Each actor in their career has to be cautious of certain things. At the same time, I would say that if there were a script in which Aamir and Shah Rukh fit in two roles, they could say, 'Yes, I can do this'. They are the kind of professionals who would say yes, but the challenge is for the writer," says Mansoor.

Further, reminiscing about the shooting time on the sets of Josh, Mansoor says the actors would mostly follow his instructions except for one day when Shah Rukh decided to bring a change in his look, apparently influenced by choreographer-turned-director Farah Khan.

"There would be no disagreements. But once, when we were picturising this song, Apun Bola on Shah Rukh. In the morning, when I came, he was getting ready and he said, 'Mansoor, for the song I will wear something else'. All through the film, he is seen wearing torn jeans, a T-shirt and a leather jacket. But that is Max. I asked him, 'What will you wear?' And he pulled out these blue dungarees. He showed it to me, and I probably had an expression of such bewilderment," he said.

"He went into his van and changed, and as he stepped out of the van, I could see the uncertainty as if he himself didn't believe that it was working and that it would look all wrong. I knew this was Farah Khan's thinking (laughs), who must have said, 'What Shah Rukh, you are always wearing this jacket, so boring'. Whenever and wherever he has strayed from the 'uniform', it has taken away the character, and you suddenly feel this is Shah Rukh from any other film. This is not Max. I was too troubled in those days, but it is my fault; I am not blaming them," concludes the director with a hearty laugh.