Shah Rukh Khan requested Rs 6 lakh for an advertisement but Aamir Khan was cast for Rs 17 lakh; Here's why

Before Shah Rukh Khan's rise to Bollywood stardom, Prahlad Kakkar made a pivotal casting choice that would later be a subject of industry discussion. The advertisement, starring Mahima Chaudhry and Aishwarya Rai, presented an opportunity where both SRK and Aamir Khan were considered, yet Kakkar had a definitive preference.

He told Vickey Lalwani, "Aamir was charging some Rs 17 lakhs and Shah Rukh was only charging Rs 6 Lakh at that time. And why Shah Rukh was charging Rs 6 Lakh was also because he was short of Rs 6 Lakh for buying his house (Mannat). So he said, I am short of Rs 6 Lakh, you give me and I will do the ad. So I said he is not right for the film. I wanted the actor. I wanted someone who had the image of an actor. Money was not my concern. Then they went round the mulberry bush and then after about six months of negotiating Aamir said yes. He didn't say yes to them, they said yes to him. He didn't budge."

Kakkar elaborated on the key differences that distinguished the two young stars at the time. "What was differentiating the two at that time because they were both very young, very good looking, very charming?" he asked rhetorically.

"The image that Aamir had with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak was an innocent boy next door. Just a nice, clean boy. And that's what I needed for the ad film. And Shah Rukh was there but he didn't have such a clean image. Because his first film was Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman. Or something like that. And the character that he played was not as squeaky clean as the character that Aamir played."

Even though SRK was willing to adjust his fee to align with Kakkar's budget, the filmmaker prioritized the core concept of the advertisement over financial considerations. Aamir's image as a clean, trustworthy figure perfectly complemented the campaign's intended message.