Raveena Tandon turned down Rani Mukerji's role in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai! Here’s why

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai marked the directorial debut of Karan Johar and went on to become a cultural phenomenon. Headlined by Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukerji, the film continues to hold a special place in Bollywood history.

Interestingly, Tina’s role was first offered to Twinkle Khanna. Eventually, it landed with Rani, who recently expressed gratitude to KJo for encouraging her to retain her original voice in the film - a defining moment in her early career.

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The Offer That Reached Raveena Tandon

But, did you know that before Rani stepped into Tina’s shoes, Kjo also approached Raveena Tandon for the part? Well, Raveena chose not to accept it.

Recently, Raveena shared that although she cherished her friendship with Kjo and valued the opportunity, the role didn’t align with her professional goals at the time. Having already cemented her place as a leading star in the 1990s, she wasn’t keen on taking up a second lead.

Why Raveena Said No?

During a recent Zoom interaction, Raveena revisited the decision. After the success of Mohra, she felt it wasn’t the right phase to return in a supporting role.

The 'Mast Mast Girl' said, “I had my reasons to reject certain films. For example, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Karan always says that you didn’t do my first film, but I tell him that I would have loved to do it, and you are my friend, but unfortunately, during that time in my career, I couldn’t have restarted my career by playing second lead after leaving at a point which was Mohra."

The KGF actress further added, “It was very necessary for me to start off, even if I have five scenes and five songs, but as a solo heroine. I had to restart my career like that, which was very difficult, but I was like, you have to do this. It worked for Rani Mukerji because she was a young and fresh face, but for me, it was not trying to start off from where I left off; that was a really difficult decision for me."

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A Difficult But Firm Choice

Raveena Tandon admitted it wasn’t an easy call. While the role in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai beautifully launched Rani’s journey, she believed it wouldn’t have suited her own trajectory at that stage. For her, maintaining the position of a solo lead was crucial - even if it meant turning down a film that would become iconic.