Tabu and filmmaker Shekhar Kapur had almost collaborated on two projects during the 80s and 90s, but due to unfortunate timing, their plans never materialized.
In a recent interaction, Tabu reminisced about how Shekhar Kapur persuaded her to put aside her aspirations for higher studies abroad to join him for the film ‘Prem’ in 1995. Despite her initial reluctance, Tabu agreed to star in the movie, but eventually, Shekhar Kapur withdrew from the project, which was later helmed by Satish Kaushik.
Tabu revealed in an interview with The Lallantop that she first encountered Shekhar Kapur during frequent gatherings at her aunt Shabana Azmi’s residence when she was a teenager. Shekhar was keen on casting her in his film ‘Dushmani,’ shortly after her 10th-grade exams. However, the film got shelved after she had committed to the role. Tabu recalled, “Shekhar Kapur cast me for ‘Dushmani’ just after my 10th exam. I wasn’t keen on doing it at that time, but he convinced me. Unfortunately, the film went through a lot of changes and never got made.”
‘Dushmani,’ released in 1995, eventually saw Sunny Deol and Manisha Koirala in the lead roles, with Bunty Soorma taking over the directorial reins from Shekhar Kapur.
Tabu also recounted how she almost worked with Shekhar Kapur again on ‘Prem.’ Despite having started college, Shekhar approached her and convinced her to sign on for the film, assuring her it would be the only project she needed to do. However, Shekhar later left the project himself, and the film dragged on for 5-6 years, leaving Tabu regretting her decision to commit to it.
‘Prem,’ produced by Boney Kapoor, was a prolonged endeavor. Ajay Devgn, also part of the conversation, humorously remarked on Boney Kapoor’s films having a lengthy timeline. Currently, both Ajay and Tabu are busy promoting their upcoming film ‘Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha.’