When Juhi Chawla Said She 'Is Responsible For Karisma Kapoor's Stardom'

Juhi Chawla is one of yesteryear's stars who has been making a comeback with shows like 'Hush Hush'. The veteran star turned 56 on Monday.

Juhi Chawla is one of yesteryear's stars who has been making a comeback with shows like 'Hush Hush'. The veteran star turned 56 on Monday. ( Image Source :IMDb )

New Delhi: Juhi Chawla is one of yesteryear's stars who has been making a comeback with shows like 'Hush Hush'. The veteran star turned 56 on Monday. Around her birthday, an old interview of the actor went viral in which she shared that she was 'amazed to see most of her contemporaries are still around'. 

In a Rediff 2014 interview, Juhi Chawla also recalled her 'foolish decisions' adding that she rejected 'Raja Hindustani', which later went on to 'become a blockbuster'. 

Juhi Chawla further added that she was responsible for Karsima's stardom. In 'Raja Hindustani', Karisma starred alongside Aamir Khan.

When asked if she had regrets about not working with Madhuri Dixit in a project before their 2014 film 'Gulaab Gang' she said, "The only time I got a chance to work with her (Madhuri Dixit) was in Dil Toh Pagal Hai. Back then I didn’t want to play the second lead to Madhuri. At that time I was a little bubble-headed (laughs). You make foolish decisions. I rejected Raja Hindustani and Judaai (1997 film starring Sridevi in lead role) also. All these films went on to become blockbusters. I am responsible for Karisma Kapoor’s stardom (Raja Hindustani was a pivotal role in her career)."

In the same interview, when Juhi was asked about calling Madhuri her rival in the 90s and their equation back then, Juhi had said, "Not only Madhuri, but Karisma (Kapoor), Manisha (Koirala), Raveena (Tandon) – we were all rivals. The rivalry remained for some years. We used to meet only on occasions like some film sets or functions. We would just exchange pleasantries and wouldn’t talk beyond that. We all worked in solo heroine films. Very rarely have I done films with two heroines. There were constant comparisons."

'Raja Hindustani' released in 1996 and instantly became a hit upon release. The film became iconic and so popular also because of the kissing scene between its lead pair, Aamir Khan and Karisma Kapoor. Their on-screen kiss became one of the highlights of the film. 'Raja Hindustani' was also known for its songs.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Juhi turned down the role in 'Raja Hindustani' after she was compared to Madhuri Dixit by filmmaker Dharmesh Darshan. In a recent interview with Lehren Retro, Dharmesh shared more about what happened during the time.

He shared that he tried convincing Juhi for the by saying  that 'Raja Hindustani' is a different film from 'Hum Aapke Hai Koun' to which he quoted Juhi as saying, "But you’re not Sooraj Barjatya (Hum Aapke Hai Koun director).' Something came on to me, I have a big ego, and I said, ‘You’re not Madhuri Dixit.' On that little thing, she said no to the film."