Mansoor Khan says he dropped Milind Soman from Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar after Aamir Khan asked to ‘throw’ initial cast out

Filmmaker Mansoor Khan revealed his struggles during the filming of 'Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar', admitting he faced depression after poor casting decisions.

Bollywood star Aamir Khan's brother and filmmaker Mansoor Khan made his directorial debut with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and later delivered another hit with the superstar in Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. In a recent interview with SCREEN, Mansoor opened up about how the original cast of the film gave him a hard time and how Aamir came to his rescue.

Mansoor Khan reveals why he dropped Mansoor Khan from Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar.

Mansoor admitted that Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar was on the verge of collapsing, largely due to his own casting misjudgements. He revealed that nearly 60–70% of the film had to be reshot as he had rejected the right actors and cast the wrong ones during the initial selection. Mansoor shared that even after shooting for 40–45 days in and around Ooty and Coonoor, and filming several songs in Mumbai, he realised the film was going nowhere.

Mansoor Khan on how the initial cast made his life miserable

He added, “I won’t take names, but those people were absolutely unprofessional. They made life miserable, not just for me, but for the entire crew. The film was turning out really badly, and it also nearly stalled. I felt like giving up. But the film’s story is about getting up and winning. So in a way, life was mirroring art. We stayed quiet. We threw those guys out. They went to the press, said all kinds of nasty things about me and Aamir. But we didn’t respond. Our focus was clear—we had a film to make, and a good one. And in the end, the result is in front of you.”

Mansoor on how Aamir Khan helped him

Mansoor recalled that he became depressed and revealed it was Aamir who pulled him out of it. "Aamir said, ‘Throw these guys out. We’ll make a good film.’ I was in a really dark place then, depressed, on the verge of a breakdown. I used to wake up in the middle of the night crying during the shoot. Some of those same people came back to me later, including Milind Soman. They didn’t understand filmmaking. They didn’t understand humility, or the director’s role, or that the film is bigger than any individual—bigger than the actor, the director, or the producer. They came in with strange ideas. But again, the mistake was mine. I shouldn’t have cast them.” However, things took a positive turn when Milind exited and Deepak Tijori stepped in.

About Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar

The 1992 coming-of-age sports drama stars Aamir Khan, Ayesha Jhulka, Deepak Tijori, Mamik Singh, Pooja Bedi and Kulbhushan Kharbanda. The film follows the journey of a carefree teenager, Sanjay, who rises against all odds to win a prestigious inter-school cycling race and earn his family’s pride. With its memorable soundtrack by Jatin–Lalit and themes of ambition, rivalry, and redemption, the film has become a beloved cult classic in Indian cinema.