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This film, originally written for Abhishek Bachchan, was later made with a South superstar, became superhit, made for Rs 18 crore, it earned Rs…
Abhishek Bachchan might have missed starring in one of the most iconic romantic blockbusters, and the reason behind this was the exclusivity, and the limited access of filmmakers to talents.
Updated : Feb 20, 2025, 09:21 AM IST | Edited by : Simran Singh
 "Abhishek Bachchan, the poster of '96")
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In the age of pan-Indian films, when North met South, history got rewritten at the box office. In 2023, we saw two major collab, Shah Rukh Khan- Atlee's Jawan and Ranbir Kapoor- Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal. Interestingly, both films are the highest-grossing films of the respective superstars.
Today, actors across the languages work in different languages, and they often push their reach across the globe. Sadly, Abhishek Bachchan lost such a golden opportunity. A director from the South wanted to make a film with Jr Bachchan, but he couldn't get in touch with him. As a result, this director went on to make his film with Vijay Sethupathi, and together, they gave one of the biggest blockbusters of that year.
The film that Abhishek Bachchan lost to Vijay Sethupathi is...
'96 (2018), C Prem Kumar's directorial was about the two star-crossed lovers Ram and Jaanu. The movie starred Vijay Sethupathi with Trisha Krishnan in the lead, and it became an acclaimed blockbuster. However, the film's director recently revealed that he originally wanted Abhishek Bachchan to lead his film. At the 7th Indian Screenwriters Conference (ISC), hosted by the Screenwriters Association of India (SWA), Prem revealed, “’96 was originally written for Hindi cinema, and I wanted to pitch it to Abhishek Bachchan, but I didn’t have contacts!”
What is '96 about?
The romantic drama revolves around the reunion of former students from the batch of 1996, twenty-two years after their graduation. The reunion proves to be the only opportunity for former lovers, Ram (Vijay) and Jaanu (Trisha), to resolve issues surrounding their separation.
'96 box office collection
Made in a reported budget of Rs 18 crores, the film went on to become a commercial blockbuster, earning over Rs 50 crores. The film was remade by Preetham Gubbi in Kannada as 99 (2019), and by Prem Kumar himself in Telugu as Jaanu (2020).
