Sooraj Barjatya’s 1999 film Hum Saath Saath Hain remains one of his most celebrated works, achieving cult status over the years. The ensemble cast featured Salman Khan and Sonali Bendre in the lead, alongside Saif Ali Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Mohnish Bahl and Tabu.
However, in a recent interview, the filmmaker revealed an interesting casting detail—Madhuri Dixit had expressed a desire to be part of the film and was even willing to play Salman Khan’s sister-in-law.
Despite Madhuri’s enthusiasm, Sooraj Barjatya was hesitant about the idea. Given her previous romantic pairing with Salman in Hum Aapke Hain Koun, he felt casting her in a different dynamic would not be ideal.
He recalled telling her that the film was male-dominated and that her role would either be too small or require her to play bhabhi to Salman, a shift he wasn’t comfortable with. Madhuri, however, was gracious about it and assured him that she would still love to collaborate. Yet, Barjatya ultimately decided against it, feeling the pairing wouldn’t work in the context of the story and he was not comfortable casting her in this role.
Madhuri and Salman had already established themselves as a beloved on-screen couple following the massive success of Hum Aapke Hain Koun. To ensure audiences accepted the character of Salman’s sister-in-law without preconceived notions, Barjatya opted for an actress without a prior romantic association with him. He explained that this was why Tabu was chosen for the role—she came without any predefined image, making her a natural fit for the part.
Well that was an interesting anecdote.
