Kamal Ghorui
Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan‘s iconic film ‘Karan Arjun’ continues to be remembered after three decades of its release. Fans couldn’t hold their excitement even as they shared screen space together in ‘Pathaan’. The two stars worked together in one more film, ‘Hum Tumhare Hai Sanam’ apart from Salman’s cameo in ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’. While ‘Hum Tumhare Hai Sanam’ turned out to be a flop. The film’s producer, KC Bokadia, recently shed light on how he managed to bring the trio of Salman, SRK and Madhuri Dixit together. Speaking about Salman Khan, he revealed that he never actually narrated the script to the actor. Instead, he approached Salman’s father, veteran screenwriter Salim Khan. Since the film was a remake of the Tamil movie Thotta Chinungi, Bokadia simply informed Salim Khan about the original, who then agreed on Salman’s behalf. In contrast, Shah Rukh Khan chose to watch the Tamil version but did not insist on meeting the director.Recalling his interaction with Shah Rukh, Bokadia said he approached the actor with a straightforward offer. He explained that he planned to remake the Tamil film and would need Shah Rukh for around 20 days. “I told him, ‘I don’t know what you charge, but I am willing to pay you Rs 2 crore for it’,” he said, adding that the actor’s usual fee at the time was between Rs 1–1.5 crore. Shah Rukh agreed and came to watch the original film the very next day. Bokadia also humorously mentioned that he kept the director away from the screening, saying, “The director had a weird personality so I told him not to enter the screening because SRK might run away after looking at you.”Both the Tamil original and its Hindi remake were directed by KS Adhiyaman. Bokadia admitted it was remarkable that Shah Rukh never asked to meet the filmmaker before signing on. After watching the film, the actor candidly shared his thoughts but still agreed to be part of the project. “After Shah Rukh watched the film, he said, ‘I don’t understand such kind of films. But I will do it for you’,” Bokadia recalled.Despite its star power, the film struggled at the box office. Made on a budget of Rs 12 crore, it earned approximately Rs 13.5 crore, according to Box Office India. During this time, Bokadia still owed Shah Rukh Rs 95 lakh, but the actor chose not to accept the payment. Recalling the conversation, Bokadia said, “I told Shah Rukh, ‘Sir, we don’t have a problem with you. Plus, we have promised you the money. It won’t look good’. Shah Rukh said, ‘Don’t worry about it. I can earn Rs 95 lakh by making an appearance at a wedding. You will have to pay me by selling off your assets’. Who says something like that? That’s his good nature.”Even when Shah Rukh’s secretary later followed up regarding the pending payment, the actor remained firm. Bokadia said, “He said, ‘You don’t worry about it. I said it. I committed it. I have told you, I am not taking any money.’” He added that he once attempted to hand over a cheque of Rs 20 lakh, but Shah Rukh refused to accept it. “I even tried to give him a cheque of Rs 20 lakh but he didn’t take it. I handed it to his driver but it was never deposited,” he said.According to Bokadia, the actor continued to decline payment even during later encounters. In fact, Shah Rukh went a step further and offered his time for a future project if Bokadia ever needed him. Recalling the moment, Bokadia said the actor told him, “I respect you. I love you, sir.”Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam revolved around the relationship between Madhuri Dixit’s character and her husband, played by Shah Rukh Khan, whose insecurities strain her close friendship with Salman Khan’s character. Despite its high-profile cast, the film received largely negative reviews from critics upon release.
