Anees Bazmee reveals Laadla was almost completed with Divya Bharti before her tragic death

The sudden and tragic death of actress Divya Bharti in 1993 sent shockwaves through the film industry and left fans and colleagues reeling. At just 19 years old, Bharti had been in the midst of working on multiple projects, including Laadla. In a recent interview with Galatta India, filmmaker Anees Bazmee, who wrote the screenplay for the film, shared behind-the-scenes insights, revealing that Laadla was nearly completed with Divya Bharti in the lead role before the tragedy struck.

Anees Bazmee shared different anecdotes from various films in his career, including Laadla. For those unaware, Divya Bharti was initially selected to play the lead role in the film and completed the shoot for most of it. However, her sudden demise left Laadla in uncertainty.

Bazmee recounted how, after Bharti's untimely passing, the entire film had to undergo significant changes, including a revised script and reshoots with Sridevi stepping in to fill her shoes.

He said, "Boney Kapoor warned me that she might refuse the film in Hindi too, but I insisted he arrange a meeting. Before meeting her, I reflected on the reasons behind her rejection of the first two versions and made some adjustments accordingly. When I narrated my revised version of the story to her, she got excited."

The writer-filmmaker shared that Divya's sudden demise left the producer, Nitin Manmohan, in shock because most of the film was completed except its climax. However, he continued work despite his grief over the Deewana actress's demise and began shooting again.

Anees said, "He (the producer) picked himself up, and we began shooting again. The second time, the film was shot very quickly because we had already made it once. It went on to be a super hit."

Bazmee’s reflection on the film’s journey highlights the challenges and resilience that went into making Laadla, a film that was forever changed by the untimely passing of Divya Bharti but ultimately found success thanks to the hard work and determination of the cast and crew.