25 Years of Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai EXCLUSIVE: Tusshar Kapoor recalls film’s TERRIFIC box office run: “If Lagaan and Gadar had not released 3 weeks later, our film would have done better”; opens up on Ekta Kapoor’s support: “Many industry people were OFFENDED seeing her promote her brother’s film on her shows”Satish Kaushik’s Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai (2001) completed 25 years on May 25, and, in other words, its lead actor, Tusshar Kapoor, also celebrated 25 years in the film industry.
They were rooting for your character Karan and badly wanted him to propose to Pooja (Kareena Kapoor Khan)…(Laughs) Yes.
Not many are aware that Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai was the third biggest hit of 2001 after Gadar and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.
I remember in ‘Kkusum’, it was shown that a character remarking that Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai’s shows are going house full and even you are not getting tickets!
In Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai, Gopal Datt played a goofy character named Hrithik.
25 Years of Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai EXCLUSIVE: Tusshar Kapoor recalls film’s TERRIFIC box office run: “If Lagaan and Gadar had not released 3 weeks later, our film would have done better”; opens up on Ekta Kapoor’s support: “Many industry people were OFFENDED seeing her promote her brother’s film on her shows”
Satish Kaushik’s Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai (2001) completed 25 years on May 25, and, in other words, its lead actor, Tusshar Kapoor, also celebrated 25 years in the film industry. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, the actor spoke about the feedback he received on his film and its huge box-office performance.
25 Years of Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai EXCLUSIVE: Tusshar Kapoor recalls film’s TERRIFIC box office run: “If Lagaan and Gadar had not released 3 weeks later, our film would have done better”; opens up on Ekta Kapoor’s support: “Many industry people were OFFENDED seeing her promote her brother’s film on her shows”
Did you visit cinema halls to gauge the audience feedback?
Of course, I went all the way to South Mumbai's Metro Cinema and also Chitra and Premiere in Dadar.
I remember watching the film at Gaiety-Galaxy in a sold-out matinee show. Viewers were quite restless towards the end. They were rooting for your character Karan and badly wanted him to propose to Pooja (Kareena Kapoor Khan)…
(Laughs) Yes. The youngsters of those times were millennials. They quite took to the film. We were at the crossroads between the old and new wave of cinema. We were still not very modernized and we were getting there. This film had the Indianness that a lot of youngsters also connected to. I remember Kareena saying in one scene, ‘Intelligent hoon, boring nahin’. She’s shown partying in a nightclub and yet, she’s very traditional. Now, the youngsters have become totally westernized and seem like they are city-bred. Even the ones in a small town are like Mumbaiites or Delhiites.
That time, it was a good balance. The youth came from all walks of life and they all connected to it. Everybody could identify with my character. It’s the love story of a slightly introverted character and a slightly bold girl.
The radio stations still play the songs of the film, thinking it’s from the 90s as the soundtrack had a 90s feel (smiles).
Not many are aware that Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai was the third biggest hit of 2001 after Gadar and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. Lagaan collected more, but in terms of ROI, your film beat the Aamir Khan-starrer…
Yes. We achieved those numbers despite the opposition from Gadar and Lagaan, which were released three weeks later. If those films had not come out, our film would have done even better.
Your sister Ekta Kapoor promoted your film extensively on her daily soaps. I remember in ‘Kkusum’, it was shown that a character remarking that Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai’s shows are going house full and even you are not getting tickets!
(Smiles) I remember Ekta doing that. Even Ketaki Dave’s character in ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’ said something on the same lines. A lot of people got offended within the industry as to why she was promoting her brother’s movie. But what the heck? To each its own.
And it was justified as the film was doing so well…
Yes. And if the film was not doing well, no matter how you promote, it was not going to help.
How did your dad, Jeetendra, react to the film’s success?
He’s quite superstitious. He doesn’t like to jinx anything by praising. He let it be and let it pass. He advised me not to get carried away by my first film's success. He said, ‘Every film won’t get the same kind of success. There’ll be good and bad films coming. Take everything in your stride and move on’.
In Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai, Gopal Datt played a goofy character named Hrithik. Did the real Hrithik Roshan ever see the film?
I know that his parents watched it and they congratulated me. It was the next big newcomer hit after Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai (2000) and Refugee (2000). Abhishek Bachchan and Chintu ji (Rishi Kapoor) wrote letters to me. Shabana Azmi ji and Javed Akhtar ji sent me messages. Hrithik was quite encouraging and happy for my success. I know that Kareena had a trial of the film in London, where she was shooting for Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. I presume everybody from the cast, including Hrithik, must have seen it.
Are there any plans to re-release the film?
I keep telling Vashu ji (producer Vashu Bhagnani) about it. But theatres have to give that indication. I don’t know why it hasn’t happened so far. Maybe, when it’s meant to happen, it’ll happen.
Also Read: 25 Years of Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai EXCLUSIVE: Tusshar Kapoor speaks highly of Kareena Kapoor Khan: “I was DAZZLED by her; she had confidence of somebody who had done 10 films”; recalls shooting for his debut film: “If Satish Kaushik was my teacher, then Amrish Puri was the headmaster!”
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