Why was Govinda replaced with Anil Kapoor in 'Taal'?
What's the story
Subhash Ghai's 1999 musical drama Taal, featuring A.R. Rahman's music, was a massive hit. It starred Anil Kapoor, Akshaye Khanna, and Aishwarya Rai. But did you know that the film was supposed to star Govinda? The director revealed that he had written a role for the actor, but he refused it because of insecurity over his role.
Role rejection
Govinda thought he would be 'reduced to a character actor'
Ghai revealed that Govinda had approached him for a "good role" in his films. The director then created a character for him in Taal. However, when he narrated the script to Govinda, the actor was disappointed. Ghai told CNN-News18, "I wrote a dancer's character for him. But when I narrated the script, he said, 'Akshaye Khanna is taking away the heroine. I will be reduced to a character actor.'"
Director's reaction
Ghai told Govinda he didn't understand the film
Ghai was taken aback by Govinda's response and told him, "I don't think you should be doing this film because you haven't understood it." The role was then offered to Kapoor, who earned several Best Supporting Actor awards for his performance. Ghai emphasized that he only worked with actors who fully surrendered themselves to his vision.
Director's approach
Example of how Khanna accepted the role
Ghai shared an example of Khanna. He recalled, "Akshaye, who was fairly new at the time, heard the script and asked, 'What am I doing in this film? I am doing nothing.'" "I told him, 'That's exactly your character-someone who does nothing.'" "He accepted that and in the end while Anil Kapoor won awards people still say this was one of Akshaye's best performances."
On-set discipline
'Work with me like students...'
Ghai further explained his strict policy on set, saying, "I never let any of my actors question anything on set. They were expected to work with me like students." He added that he can't work with actors who want to be his partners. "My films are one-man vision. If an actor was more interested in hits or flops I would show them the door."
Career shift
Ghai's career as a director
Ghai started his career in Hindi cinema as an actor, with small roles in movies like Taqdeer (1967) and Aradhana (1969). However, acting didn't work out for him. He eventually found success as a director, starting with Kalicharan in 1976. The film was a major box-office success and opened many doors for him. In total, he directed 19 films, of which 14 were box-office successes.