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Anil Kapoor saw Madhuri Dixit’s casting for Beta as ‘a minus’ and wanted a ‘big heroine’, reveals Adi Irani
Adi Irani recently revealed that Anil Kapoor saw Madhuri Dixit’s casting in Beta as ‘a minus’ and wanted a bigger star, but the film turned into a massive hit. Details inside!
The 1992 blockbuster Beta solidified Indra Kumar’s reputation as a leading Bollywood director. Originally, he had envisioned Sridevi in the lead role, but after she declined the offer, Madhuri Dixit stepped in. Interestingly, Adi Irani recently revealed that Anil Kapoor was initially skeptical about Madhuri’s casting, believing it to be a 'minus' for the film. He even insisted on casting a more established heroine instead.
In an interview with Filmymantra Media, Adi Irani shared an interesting behind-the-scenes story about how Dil came to be. After collaborating with Indra Kumar on two projects, Anil Kapoor found himself unable to commit to another film for a year due to scheduling conflicts. However, he didn't want to turn down the filmmaker, who was eager to step into directing after producing.
Instead, the Fighter actor suggested that Indra experiment with a smaller film in the meantime to gain experience. This led to the birth of Dil, with Aamir Khan and Madhuri Dixit in the lead. The filmmaker approached it as a modest project, unsure of how it would turn out.
Adi Irani recalled that Aamir Khan faced a rough phase in his career, with several consecutive box office failures after his debut. At the time, producers were hesitant to cast him, fearing his films wouldn’t succeed.
Madhuri Dixit also encountered setbacks despite signing major projects, a couple of her films underperformed, and others were stuck in production limbo.
Adi further shared that Indra initially wanted Sridevi for the lead role, but she declined, as she preferred not to work with new directors. The Animal actor, who was involved in the casting process, approached her, but she still turned it down. Since Indra Kumar was already directing Dil with Madhuri Dixit, he decided to cast her in Beta as well.
However, at that time, Dil wasn’t released and Madhuri was not considered a top-tier star. Anil Kapoor was skeptical about the decision. Adi added, "So Anil said, ‘Sridevi said no, so instead of signing a big heroine, you’re signing Madhuri Dixit. Everything is a minus in your film.’ But all the minuses turned out to be pluses for Beta."
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