When Salman Khan Failed Screen Test For Maine Pyar Kiya And Sooraj Barjatya Rejected Him

The first thing that comes to mind when someone says Sooraj Barjatya is a “family-oriented soulful love story” that offers a glimpse into traditional Indian values. He has given us hits like Hum Aapke Hain Koun, Hum Saath Saath Hain and Vivah. All of these movies were made under his family banner Rajshri Productions, established by his grandfather Tarachand Barjatya.

Sooraj is known to frequently cast Salman Khan in his films and in fact, he provided him with his breakthrough in the film industry. Salman, who had earlier appeared in a small supporting role in the movie Biwi Ho To Aisi, appeared in his first lead role in the 1989 film Maine Pyar Kiya, directed by Sooraj Barjatya.

A smash hit at the box office, the movie made both Salman Khan and debutante Bhagyashree overnight stars. It was also Sooraj’s debut film as a director. However, most people are unaware that the movie was almost on the verge of getting shelved. According to reports, many top stars of the era had refused the lead role in the film.

The main reason for it was that many of Rajshri Productions’ films had bombed badly at the box office before Maine Pyar Kiya. In fact, it was reported that the production house had gone into debt because of the string of unsuccessful films. No one wanted to risk starring in another film from the banner, particularly since the director was a new face.

Ultimately Salman Khan, who was looking for a breakthrough, appeared for a screen test. Sooraj Barjatya recalled in an interview that Salman had failed his screen test. However, after six months, the filmmaker decided to cast Salman in the film anyway and make the movie. The rest is history.

Maine Pyar Kiya was the highest-grossing Hindi film of 1989 and its music was also among the highest-selling albums of the year.