Salman Khan has starred in several films directed by Sooraj Barjatya, including Hum Aapke Hain Koun and Hum Saath Saath Hain. However, for his movie Vivah, Barjatya chose Shahid Kapoor over Salman. He wanted actors who appeared young and innocent. Therefore, Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao were selected for the roles in Vivah.

In a chat with Digital Commentary, Sooraj Barjatya said, “After Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon flopped, Salman called and said ‘Let’s work on something.’ But, at that time, I didn’t have a story for Salman and this (Vivah) was a story that my father had given me.” Sooraj had decided early in his career that he “will not compromise.”

He added, “When I decided I wanted to make this, I knew Salman wouldn’t fit here because he was a major star… Isme bholapan chahiye, umar chahiye, aur umar toh kisiki rukegi nahi. Toh fir yeh Shahid aur Amrita ki casting hui.”

Shahid Kapoor was not entirely comfortable with his role in Vivah, and asked to be replaced. Despite this, he recently shared his appreciation for director Sooraj Barjatya. Shahid spoke fondly of how Barjatya supported him during a challenging time in his career. Even though Shahid had a string of unsuccessful films, Barjatya remained supportive when Shahid requested to step back from Vivah.

Shahid told Bollywood Hungama, “Sooraj Ji told me, ‘If you know what to do in front of the camera, just do that and leave the rest to me,’ and Vivah was my biggest hit at that time. He backed me and he had faith in me at that time. So that will always be my best memory of Sooraj Barjatya and Vivah.”

Shahid Kapoor looks very cute and handsome in Vivah film. pic.twitter.com/P8OrDqMZM0
— RAJIV (@RajivShahid) May 10, 2020

Vivah, starring Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao, was a major hit in 2006, becoming one of the highest-earning films of that year. The movie was a significant milestone in Shahid’s career and remains one of the most notable films in Amrita Rao’s collection of work.

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