Mansoor Khan, who made his Bollywood directorial debut with the iconic romantic musical Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak featuring Aamir Khan in his first lead role alongside Juhi Chawla, went on to cast his cousin in his second and third films, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander and Akele Hum Akele Tum.
In a recent interview, Mansoor revealed that initially, he was set to debut with Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander instead of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and explained why that decision could have ruined Aamir’s career.
Reflecting on the sequence of events, Mansoor shared, “I began writing the story that later became Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander… Daddy [Filmmaker Nasir Husain] was writing QSQT to launch Aamir.”
“We started in 1986, and the film was released in 1988—I’m a slow filmmaker. But the point is, I had Aamir in mind for Jo Jeeta, and he would’ve been 19-20 at the time. Thankfully, I didn’t make that film. I could’ve destroyed Aamir’s career,” he admitted.
Mansoor further revealed that he wasn’t initially satisfied with the script of his sports drama when his father offered him the chance to direct QSQT. “I asked him, ‘What’s this film about?’ And he said, ‘It’s a love story’. I replied, ‘But every Hindi film is a love story.’ I wasn’t happy with it, and I’m still not pleased with how it turned out.”
“My dad understood the audience better, but I wasn’t familiar with films at the time. However, I realized that the scenes I disliked were actually the ones people enjoyed, so I reconsidered and rewrote Jo Jeeta,” he concluded.
Both films went on to become massive hits, solidifying Aamir Khan’s place as one of Bollywood’s top stars.
