Shahrukh Khan has given many memorable performances over the years, but the actor’s most special character is ‘Aman’ from Kal Ho Na Ho. Its director Nikhil Advani recently revealed that the actor had read the first page of the script and instead of reading it, he looked at other pages of the script. He did this because he had confidence in Karan Johar’s writing and Advani’s direction.
Nikkhil Advani debuted as a director with the King Khan starrer, but the superstar expressed full confidence in him. He recalled the incident in a conversation on the Cyrus Says YouTube channel: “Shah Rukh went to Yash Johar and said, ‘I will do another film with Dharma Productions only if Nikhil directs it.’
Before the film, Advani was an assistant director on the sets of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, and he had a close relationship with them. Hence, the actor’s faith did wonders for the filmmaker, helping him launch his career in a big way.
He acknowledged the immense contribution of King Khan and said, “I am very grateful to Shahrukh – I am indebted to him throughout my career as a director.” The director also shared that Khan was keen to explore different roles apart from love stories during that phase and they discussed it a lot on the sets.
Although Karan Johar wrote the story of the film, he gave the responsibility of directing it to Nikhil, which was a big opportunity for him. Despite being his first project, the Pathan actor did not hold back. Instead, he did not read the script properly because he was confident in his vision.
Advani explained, “Shah Rukh read the first page, glanced at the break point and then moved on to the last page. He didn’t read the entire script. He just said, ‘I know Karan has written it, and so have you.’ ” I’m directing it, so I’m in good hands.
Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) still remains an iconic film and Khan’s character Aman made us laugh, blush and cry while watching the film imprint itself in our memories. Ultimately, it became a massive success at the box office and received critical acclaim.
Also read: 20 years of Kal Ho Na Ho: Cameos of Karan Johar, Kajol, Uday Chopra and other celebs in the film that went unnoticed
