Ae Dil Hai Mushkil clocks 9: THIS iconic song was meant for Salman Khan's movie not Ranbir Kapoor!

Nine years ago, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (ADHM) swept audiences away with its emotional portrayal of unrequited love, friendship, and fragile dreams. Directed by Karan Johar and starring Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan - with Shah Rukh Khan’s memorable cameo - the film remains etched in fans’ hearts as one of Johar’s most heartfelt creations.

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KJo Celebrates 9 Years of ADHM

Karan Johar marked the ninth anniversary of the film with a nostalgic social media post. He shared several behind-the-scenes pictures and penned a moving note reflecting on his journey.

The post read, "One year short of a decade and it honestly feels like yesterday when I was on set of perhaps the most personal film I have ever made..." (sic)

Further, he added, "I was thrilled to be doing what I do, with people who were just exceptional as artists from the cast to the crew. My dil will never forget this!!" (sic)

He concluded by thanking the audience for their unwavering love, writing, "Thank you for letting Ae Dil Hai Mushkil grow... for breathing life and love into it till now!! #Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" (sic)

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A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar)

The Song That Almost Wasn’t in the Film!

While the movie’s soul-stirring soundtrack has a permanent place in Bollywood history, few know that the iconic “Channa Mereya” was not originally meant for Ranbir Kapoor’s heartbreak in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

Surprisingly, composer Pritam had first created the song for Bajrangi Bhaijaan, starring Salman Khan. During a conversation with IANS, Pritam revealed how the song’s journey took an unexpected turn before finding its true home.

He said, "For the same situation of 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan', I made 'Channa Mereya'. It got bounced from 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan', and it went to 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'. Mukhra was the same, but the lyrics were different."

From Salman to Ranbir: A Twist of Fate

Originally conceived for Bajrangi Bhaijaan from Munni’s perspective, Channa Mereya didn’t make it past the selection stage. Fate, however, had other plans - and the song became the heartbeat of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

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Today, Channa Mereya stands as a modern heartbreak anthem with over 275 million streams on Spotify, drawing more than 2,00,000 daily plays. It’s hard to imagine the song anywhere else but in Ranbir Kapoor’s poignant performance as Ayan.