Karisma Kapoor birthday special: She wasn't first choice for 'DTPH'?
Karisma Kapoor walked straight into our hearts as Nisha of Dil to Pagal Hai with her smooth dancing and controlled acting. Her unrequited love for Rahul made us empathize with her, and left us searching for a much better guy than him for her. But did you know Kapoor wasn't the first choice for the movie? On her birthday, let's delve deep.
Yash Chopra himself revealed Kapoor was the fifth choice
Dil to Pagal Hai (DTPH) revolved around a love triangle, and was directed by the legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra. In his words, Kapoor was his fifth choice for the role of Nisha. The part was originally offered to Manisha Koirala, who turned it down even without reading the script, then Juhi Chawla, Kajol and Urmila Matondkar rejected the role, before Kapoor was considered.
Her portrayal even made Juhi Chawla regret declining the role
Chawla, who was also considered a good dancer and had worked with Chopra in Darr, refused the role because she wasn't ready to play a second fiddle to Madhuri Dixit. She hinted that her professional "rivalry" with Dixit played the catalyst. But, over the years, in many talks, Chawla expressed that passing off the role would remain one of her biggest regrets.
Kapoor's mother nudged her to take Nisha's role. Thank you!
And then it was Matondkar, who had scorched screens just two years ago with Rangeela. She, in fact, left DTPH after shooting for a day. "(After) she abandoned the movie, Adi (Aditya Chopra, who had written the story) contacted me. I consulted my mother and she told me to take the challenge..her advice proved a boon," Kapoor narrated. Guess, Kapoor was destined for Nisha.
Kapoor even won the National Award for her performance
It will not be an exaggeration to say that she almost masked the performances of others in the film. Kapoor was so strong as Nisha that even the Government of India felt compelled to bestow her with the National Award for Best Supporting Actress. Getting cast opposite Dixit was also a challenge for her, which made Kapoor push harder, and boy, it clicked!
