Rejected by 8 actors, THIS 2014 film took 9 years to make, became the third-highest grosser of the year, earned Rs…, lead actors were…

This film took 9 years in making, the initial cast was completely changed. The director even had rift with the lead actor. The movie then became the third highest grosser in its release year.

Every time moviegoers hear about an upcoming Shah Rukh Khan film, excitement reaches a fever pitch. Similarly, when an SRK movie was released in 2014, it came as no surprise that it turned out to be a massive hit. Apart from SRK, the movie featured six other prominent stars from the film industry. The hint is enough to reveal that the film in question is none other than the blockbuster Happy New Year.

Released in 2014, the storyline of Happy New Year was fresh, engaging, and entertaining, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. In addition to Shah Rukh Khan, the movie starred Deepika Padukone, Sonu Sood, Boman Irani, Abhishek Bachchan, Vivaan Shah, and Jackie Shroff. Directed by Farah Khan and produced by SRK’s wife, Gauri Khan, the film became a superhit at the box office. Made on a budget of Rs 150 crore, it grossed an impressive Rs 397 crore worldwide.

Initially Planned with a Different Cast

Interestingly, Happy New Year was initially supposed to have a different star-studded cast, including Amitabh Bachchan. The project took nine long years to finally hit the big screens. According to a report by Hindustan Times, director Farah Khan planned to make Happy New Year right after the success of Main Hoon Na, released in 2004.

Farah initially thought of making the film which would feature Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Juhi Chawla, Manisha Koirala, Ameesha Patel, Priyanka Chopra, Raveena Tandon, and Zayed Khan. However, the project did not progress beyond the concept stage.

Reasons for the Delay

In 2006, Farah Khan signed Deepika Padukone for the film. However, the project faced another delay, this time because Deepika was working on Om Shanti Om. Consequently, Happy New Year remained in the pipeline for the next six years. During this period, Farah directed other films like Om Shanti Om and Tees Maar Khan.

Another factor contributing to the delay was a reported rift between Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan. However, the two reconciled in 2012, and the movie finally went on the floors for making.

Eight Stars Rejected the Film

Did you know that besides Deepika, Farah also considered Priyanka Chopra for the lead role? However, Priyanka had date conflicts and had to decline the offer.

Other actresses approached for the role included Sonakshi Sinha, Asin, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Parineeti Chopra, and Katrina Kaif, but none could come on board. For Sonu Sood’s role, Farah initially approached John Abraham and Prithviraj Sukumaran, but things didn’t work out with them either.

Despite the challenges, Happy New Year turned out to be a huge hit and became the third highest-grossing film of 2014.