"Why Didn't You Take Me?": Sameera Reddy On Farah Khan Initially Wanting Her Instead Of Sushmita Sen In Main Hoon Na

New Delhi:

Farah Khan's directorial debut, Main Hoon Na, in 2004, to date enjoys a massive fanbase. Other than Shah Rukh Khan and Sushmita Sen, the film also had Amrita Rao, Zayed Khan and Suniel Shetty in key roles. Recently, during one of her YouTube vlogs-where this time Farah Khan visited actress Sameera Reddy's Goa residence-the filmmaker revealed that the Race actor was her first choice for Main Hoon Na, and not Sushmita Sen.

What's Happening

• Farah Khan said, "Nobody knows, but I had considered you for Main Hoon Na in Sushmita Sen's role. I had seen your song, Aahista Kijiye Baatein, and you were dressed in Indian wear."
• Sameera Reddy was shocked at the revelation as she reacted, "Oh My God! I want to know why you didn't take me."
• Farah Khan continued, "Because by then you had taken up Maine Dil Tujhko Diya (Sameera Reddy's 2002 film with Sohail Khan)."

When Sushmita Sen Said She Did Not Expect Main Hoon Na To Do So Well

Sushmita Sen played the glamorous college professor Chandni in Main Hoon Na. Cast opposite Shah Rukh Khan in the film, her stunning saree looks had instantly become a trendsetter.

Sushmita Sen had also said that she did not expect the film to do so well for her. Sushmita Sen said that Farah Khan even called her to apologise, explaining that her role was further shortened in the edit.

In an earlier conversation with Humans of Bombay, Sushmita Sen said, "It became career-defining, of course, because everybody keeps going back to Main Hoon Na; it definitely was that. I must give you a little anecdote on this; it was actually quite funny when Farah called me and said, 'Sush, I have seen the final edit, and I have to apologise to you. Shah Rukh, of course, has the role; Zayed (Khan), Amrita (Rao), everybody has a role; you are barely there.' So, I'm just like, 'Well, that's okay, Farah; we had a deal; you kept through the promise; I kept through it; it's done; don't worry about it.' But inside I was thinking, 'Oh, I'm barely there in the film-not that I had shot a lot, but still barely there in the film.'"

Such was the response to her role in the 2004 film that, Sushmita Sen said that while the pre-release posters featured only Shah Rukh Khan, Amrita Rao and Zayed, days after the release, posters with SRK and Sushmita Sen were on hoardings all over the city. "That is the power of the people and the audience."

About Sameera Reddy

Sameera Reddy was a popular face during the 2000s and early 2010s. Her works include Race (2008), No Entry (2005), Musafir (2004), Taxi No. 9211 (2006), and the Tamil romantic drama Vaaranam Aayiram (2008). She has predominantly worked in Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil cinema.

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