- Suneel Darshan wrote the original story for the film Mela
- He believed Twinkle Khanna was not the right choice for the lead role in the movie
- Darshan felt Karisma Kapoor would have made the film more successful
Aamir Khan and Twinkle Khanna's Mela may not be remembered by fans, but writer Suneel Darshan still has some strong feelings about the 2000 film. Years after its release, Suneel has spoken about the casting and said he did not think Twinkle was the right choice for the Dharmesh Darshan directorial.
He believes Karisma Kapoor might have made the film much more successful. The filmmaker also recalled feeling hurt by some comments Twinkle made about the film and him in the media.
In a conversation with Hindi Rush, Suneel Darshan said, “The story was mine. The original story was written by me, but some changes were made. When I watched the film days before its release, I felt that if those changes were not made, the film would have been a super hit because the original story was very strong.”
He continued, “I felt that Twinkle was not capable enough for the role. If Karisma Kapoor was in the film, it would have become a super hit. Twinkle was not the right choice. But that was the director's decision, and I had nothing to do with it.”
“Later, I felt very sad when Twinkle said certain things in the media. There should be some dignity when speaking about others. If someone starts talking openly, the other person can also reveal many things. But we also have to respect others and think about their dignity. So, it is better to leave those things in the past and forget about them,” Suneel Darshan added.
Released in 2000, Mela received mostly negative reviews, and its box office performance was disappointing despite featuring actors like Aamir Khan, Twinkle Khanna and Faisal Khan.
The film may not have succeeded in theatres, but it later gained a cult following. Several scenes and dialogues from the movie became memes, helping it remain relevant years after its release.