Shah Rukh Khan wanted Saif to be his stepbrother in Main Hoon Na. Who stopped it?

A year before ‘Main Hoon Na’, Saif and Shah Rukh had appeared together in ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’. Their comic chemistry was a key part of the film’s success.

Saif Ali Khan | X/@HouseofPataudi

New Delhi: Shah Rukh Khan once called Saif Ali Khan for a part in Main Hoon Na, but it never materialised.

Saif, who is promoting his upcoming film Kartavya, told Bollyhungama that Farah Khan called him later to say that he wouldn’t be getting the part.

“Farah called me and said, ‘Listen, no, no, no’,” he said during the interview.

In Main Hoon Na (2004), Shah Rukh played Major Ram, an undercover Army officer tasked with protecting a college student from a rogue soldier. He likely called Saif regarding the role of Lakshman, Ram’s college-going stepbrother, which eventually went to Zayed Khan.

Main Hoon Na became the second-highest-grossing Indian film of 2004, and one of the most memorable of the 2000s.

lol😂 #shahrukhkhan had called up #saifalikhan to offer him a ‘great part’ in #mainhoonna but #farahkhan wasn’t convinced!

any guesses what role did srk have in mind for saif? pic.twitter.com/S1AazO1wtN

— BollyHungama (@Bollyhungama) May 14, 2026

Saif and Shah Rukh’s collaborations

A year before the release of Main Hoon Na, Saif and Shah Rukh had collaborated on Kal Hoon Na Ho, directed by Nikhil Advani. Their characters in the film were close friends, and the actors’ comic chemistry was a key part of the film.

Before this, the duo had appeared together in the directorial debut of Ashutosh Gowariker, Pehla Nasha (1993). The film featured brief cameo appearances by Shah Rukh, Saif, and Amir Khan, where they appeared as themselves rather than fictional characters.

(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)