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Romantic films have long been the backbone of Bollywood, but not all love stories receive immediate backing, even from the biggest names in the industry. One such case was Hum Tum (2004), a film that eventually became a defining moment in Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji’s careers. However, during its making, legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra had little faith in the project.
Kunal Kohli, who directed the film, recently opened up about the challenges he faced in getting it made. Despite the confidence of Aditya Chopra, Yash Chopra was far from convinced. The veteran filmmaker even dismissed the script as “ordinary” and compared it unfavorably to Mujhse Dosti Karoge!. His doubts were so strong that he refused to invest more than ₹7.5 crores and even stated that if the film failed, he wouldn’t put his name on it.
Why Yash Chopra Initially Rejected Hum Tum
Kunal Kohli knew he had a strong film, but convincing Yash Chopra was no easy task. The veteran filmmaker did not believe in the script, calling it unimpressive. “Yash Chopra wasn’t very happy with Hum Tum’s script. He said, Mujhse Dosti Karoge! is Mughal-E-Azam in front of it,” Kohli revealed, speaking at India Now and How (Via The Indian Express). For Chopra, the film seemed too simplistic, more like a “travel log” than a grand romantic saga.
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Despite his skepticism, he agreed to produce the film but was unwilling to allocate a large budget. “He agreed to give ₹7.5 crore and refused to give a penny more,” Kohli recalled. The budget constraints meant that Kohli had to find creative ways to make the film work. He cut down the cost of the animated sequences to just ₹50 lakh by removing unnecessary visual elements. The team also filmed in Amsterdam while using stock footage of Paris and New York to create the illusion of international locations. Karan Johar even gifted some New York footage from Kal Ho Naa Ho to help out.
Yash Chopra’s doubts ran so deep that he considered distancing himself from the project entirely. “Yash ji had even said that he would not put his name in the film if it won’t work and would put Aditya Chopra’s name instead,” Kohli admitted. But everything changed when Yash Chopra saw the final cut. “After watching the film, he appreciated it and said, ‘I was wrong, you both were right.’ I had tears in my eyes. He said, ‘I will proudly put my name’,” Kohli shared. What started as a film that Yash Chopra doubted ended up being one of Yash Raj Films’ most beloved romantic comedies.
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