Sooraj Barjatya reveals why he opted for Shahid Kapoor in 'Vivah' over Salman Khan

Salman Khan and filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya started working together early in their careers, with their first hit being 'Maine Pyar Kiya', which made them famous. They collaborated on several successful films, including 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun' and 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'. However, when Sooraj made 'Vivah', he felt Salman didn’t look innocent enough for the role of Prem and thought he was too old for the character.
In a recent chat with Digital Commentary, Barjatya explained why he chose to cast Shahid in 'Vivah' instead of Salman. He stated that from the beginning of his filmmaking journey, he refused to compromise on his vision. 'Vivah' went into production after the failure of 'Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon', which starred Kareena Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, and Hrithik Roshan.
Sooraj shared that after the failure of 'Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon', Salman called him to discuss collaborating on a new project. However, Sooraj didn’t have a story for Salman at that time, as he was working on a script given to him by his father.
Barjatya explained that he choseKapoor over Salman for the lead role in 'Vivah' because he wanted someone who looked innocent and younger. He felt Salman, being a major star, wouldn't fit the character of Prem. Sooraj emphasised the need for innocence and age, stating, "Isme bholapan chahiye, umar chahiye aur umar toh kisiki rukegi nahi," which translates to the need for innocence and age, as age doesn't stop for anyone.
Prior to this, 'Hum Saath Saath Hain' was the film that brought Salman and Sooraj together. During the shoot in Rajasthan, Salman was accused of shooting blackbucks. In 2024, his house was shot at by alleged supporters of Lawrence Bishnoi in connection with that case. They later collaborated again in 2015 on 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo', which also starred Sonam Kapoor.