Salman Khan-starrer ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’ (2023), which released last Friday, is getting a decent response at the box office. Pooja Hegde is seen playing the lead role opposite Salman in the film directed by Farhad Samji. Not many know how she came on board for this family entertainer and who suggested her name.
As many are aware, ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’ was initially going to be produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, but he opted out due to disappointing performance of his films at the box office.
The film which was earlier titled as ‘Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali’, was announced in early 2020 with Salman Khan as the lead actor, Farhad Samji as the director and Sajid Nadiadwala as the producer. Discussion was on in full swing regarding the leading lady of the film and at this stage, Sajid suggested Pooja Hegde’s name for the film.
According to the article published in The Telegraph, it was Sajid Nadiadwala who proposed Pooja’s name after being impressed by her performance in his venture ‘Housefull 4’ (2019). Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment had said in a statement, “We feel that the 29-year-old actress is the perfect choice to play the female lead in Salman Khan starrer ‘Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali’ and she will fit the bill perfectly.”
“After working with Pooja in ‘Housefull 4’, we felt she is the best fit for ‘Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali’. It’s her first time pairing with Salman, which will get freshness to the story. She has a very good screen presence and outstanding work ethics too”, Sajid Nadiadwala said in his statement from 2020.
Talking about Pooja Hegde, ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’ is her second film with Farhad Samji, the first being ‘Housefull 4’. Apart from Pooja, it also starred Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol, Riteish Deshmukh, Kriti Sanon and Kirti Kharbanda.
