Tina Malhotra, played by Rani Mukerji in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai remains one of the most memorable characters. But Rani Mukerji was not the filmmaker’s first choice for the role of Shah Rukh Khan’s college sweetheart and eventually wife.
During the casting of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in 1998, Karan Johar, in his directorial debut, approached several leading actresses for the role of Tina Malhotra. In interviews with Times of India, Karan Johar agreed to offer the role to Twinkle Khanna and Aishwarya Rai.
Who Was The First Choice For Tina In Kuch Kuch Hota Hai?
Karan Johar wrote the role of Tina with his childhood friend Twinkle Khanna in mind. He even named the character Tina because Twinkle Khanna’s nickname is Tina.
However, Twinkle Khanna declined the role.
In August 2019, Karan Johar revisited the casting process during an interview at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. He said that he approached eight actresses for the role, but everyone eventually declined.
Speaking about the incidents, Johar said, “Tabu, Urmila Matondkar, and Aishwarya Rai turned me down. But Ash was the only one who was polite enough to call me back.”
(Image Credit: Prime Video)
Why Aishwarya Rai Declined The Role Of Tina In Kuch Kuch Hota Hai?
Aishwarya Rai was also offered the role of Tina by Karan Johar. But she too, declined.
Talking about the rejection, Aishwarya Rai revealed that she feared being typecast if she played Tina. In a 1999 interview with Filmfare, she explained that she would get judged by the audiences.
“I'm in a catch-22 situation, really. Though I'm a newcomer, I'm compared with all the senior actresses,” Aishwarya said.
She was concerned that Tina's glamorous appearance would invite comparisons with her modelling background. Tina character's styling, she felt, could reinforce the image she was trying to move beyond.
Aishwarya Rai also pointed to the story's ending, in which Rahul eventually reunites with Anjali. “Ultimately, the hero goes back to the more real person,” she said.
Reflecting on the potential backlash, she added: “I know if I'd done Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, I would have been lynched.”
Raveena Tandon Was Also Offered To Play The Character Tina
In an interview with ANI, Raveena Tandon shared why she had declined the film.
"Karan still doesn't forgive me for not doing Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. But he didn't understand at that time, Kajol was my contemporary. We started together, we were both doing lead roles," she said.
Raveena Tandon added that she could not have accepted a film in which she would have a smaller part than Kajol. She also acknowledged that Rani benefited from the opportunity because she was a newcomer.
(Image Credit: IMDb)
How Rani Mukerji Finally Got The Role?
Rani Mukerji was new to the acting industry, so she was not the obvious choice of the casting director.
But after so many rejections, Aditya Chopra recommended Rani Mukerji to Karan Johar after watching her in Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat (1993).
Karan finally met her, auditioned her and casted her against Shah Rukh Khan. And when Kuch Kuch Hota Hai Released in 1998, Rani Mukerji got her breakthrough in Bollywood.
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Although her part was short as compared to Kajol, the limited screen limit did not make Rani Mukerji unimportant to the story. She left a strong impression as a newcomer that shaped her Bollywood career.
FAQs
Q1. Who was Karan Johar’s first choice for Tina Malhotra in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai?
A1. Karan Johar first approached Twinkle Khanna and Aishwarya Rai for the role of Tina in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. He also suggested Raveena Tandon and Urmila but the actresses declined.
Q2. Why did Raveena Tandon reject the role of Tina of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai?
A1. In one interview, Raveena Tandon clarified that she rejected the role of Tina in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai because she felt she and Kajol were both emerging actresses and becoming a second actor would impact her career going forward.