Producer Boney Kapoor has revisited one of the biggest "what could have been" moments of his career. In a recent interview, he revealed that he had envisioned Salman Khan in the lead role long before Aamir Khan came on board, but delays in acquiring the remake rights cost him the project.
Why Boney Kapoor Felt Salman Khan Was Perfect For Ghajini
Speaking about his long-standing association with Salman Khan, Boney Kapoor explained why he believed the actor would have been an ideal fit for the Hindi remake of Ghajini.
Drawing from Salman's look in Tere Naam, the producer told Rediff, "In the first half of Tere Naam, Salman sports long hair, but for the post interval portions, when he is confined to an ashram for the mentally ill, he had shaved his head. I thought that with his chiseled physique, and his hair pruned, he would be a perfect fit for Suriya's role in Ghajini."
Boney revealed that he had already set the wheels in motion to acquire the remake rights. His representative in the South had approached the makers, only to be told that the rights were tied up as collateral. "My representative down South approached the producer for the Hindi remake rights. He was told by Salem Chandrasekharan that they had been given as collateral to Allu Aravind, who had distributed the Telugu version of Ghajini, but he could buy the rights by paying off both of them," he recalled.
How The Delay Cost Boney Kapoor The Project
Boney Kapoor then approached Madhu Mantena, who had connections with Allu Aravind, hoping to secure the rights. However, what followed was months of uncertainty. "I subsequently reached out to Madhu Mantena, who was friends with Allu Aravind, for the purchase of rights. Madhu kept assuring me, 'Ho jayega (It will happen),'" Boney said.
During this period, events took a turn that ultimately changed the fate of the film. "Meanwhile, Pradeep Rawat, who played the antagonist, showed the Tamil film to Aamir Khan. For almost six months, while he was debating over whether he wanted to do the Hindi remake of Ghajini, Madhu kept me dangling. When Aamir finally consented, Madhu Mantena and Allu Aravind decided to produce the film themselves and I lost out. I wanted to remake Ghajini with Salman, and to this day, I regret missing out on the opportunity," he shared.
Reflecting further on his bond with Salman Khan, Boney also recalled how the actor had once agreed to work without charging a fee. "I approached him for a special appearance in Sirf Tum... To my surprise, Salman readily agreed to do the film and shot with us for two days. Since we weren't good friends, I would say it was a goodwill gesture because he refused to take any money or even a gift," he said.
About Ghajini
Ghajini is a 2008 Hindi psychological action‑thriller starring Aamir Khan, Asin and Jiah Khan, directed by AR Murugadoss. It follows the life of a businessman with anterograde amnesia who uses tattoos, photos, and certain photos to hunt down the killer of his girlfriend.
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