Not Madhuri Dixit But This Actress Was The First Choice For The 1992 Blockbuster Beta

Indian cinema is popular for its melodramatic family dramas, capturing complex and problematic relationships between family members, with some being increasingly toxic. A Bollywood classic of the genre is the 1992 film Beta, an Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit starrer blockbuster release which made Madhuri an overnight sensation. But did you know she was not the first choice to play the role?

Beta, helmed by Indra Kumar, became one of the most successful releases of the 90s, gaining the lead actor’s incredible fame. As per the information given, initially, the film was being produced by Boney Kapoor. He went to Sridevi, one of the biggest names of the time, asking her to play the female lead, but for reasons unknown, she rejected the offer.

After that, the rights to the film, a remake of a Tamil release, were bought by Indra Kumar and he chose Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit as the protagonists. For the role of the vamp, prominent veteran actresses like Waheeda Rehman, Sharmila Tagore and Mala Sinha were approached by the makers. They ended up rejecting it due to it being too gory and shady. Then, director Indra went to her sister Aruna Irani, who agreed to do the same. The film, eventually, became one most successful works of her career.

Directed by Indra Kumar, Beta was released in theatres on April 2, 1992. It starred an ensemble cast including Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Aruna Irani, Anupam Kher and Laxmikant Berde, among many others. It is produced by Indra Kumar and Ashok Thakeria under the banner of Maruti International. The score and the songs in the film are composed by the musical duo of Anand-Milind, Ilaiyaraaja and others. Baba Azmi has done the cinematography and Hussain A Burmawalla is the editor. According to more reports, the film collected over Rs 23.50 crore at the domestic box office, becoming the highest-grossing film of the year.

The film is a remake of the Tamil film, Enga Chinna Rasa, a K Bhagyaraj directorial released in 1987. K Bhagyaraj was also seen as the lead, opposite actress Radha in the film.