Madhuri Dixit Reveals Why She Asked Shah Rukh Khan to Star in Dil To Pagal Hai After Koyla

Bollywood icons Madhuri Dixit and Shah Rukh Khan have long been celebrated for their on-screen chemistry, delivering some of the most memorable films in Indian cinema. In an exclusive interview with Pinkvilla, Madhuri revealed the story behind her request for Shah Rukh to take on a romantic film after their intense roles in Anjaam (1994) and Koyla (1997). This conversation ultimately paved the way for their beloved collaboration in Dil To Pagal Hai (1997).

During the interview, Madhuri was shown a picture from Koyla, prompting her to recall a particularly grueling chase scene. She explained, “This is the chase scene where the goons are chasing us and we're running away. And I remember when we were doing this scene, we had done Anjaam before this. And then the next film was Koyla with Shah Rukh.”

Reflecting on their earlier projects, she added, “And in Anjaam, we're either beating each other up all the time. And in this one, we're running away in gande kapde (dirty clothes), we're dirty and we're in all kinds of bad situations.”

The actress then shared how this led to her memorable request: 

So I was just talking to Shah Rukh and said, ‘We need to do a movie where we are like saaf sutra (clean), dress beautiful, look pretty and do romantic scenes together. What is this? We are always running and then what happened was Dil To Pagal Hai after that

- Madhuri Dixit

The duo has collaborated on six films, including Anjaam, Koyla, Dil To Pagal Hai, Gaja Gamini (2000), Devdas (2002), and Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam (2002). While they haven’t worked together in recent years, their partnership remains iconic, with fans still hoping for an on-screen reunion.

On the professional front, Madhuri was last seen in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, directed by Anees Bazmee, alongside Kartik Aaryan, Triptii Dimri, and Vidya Balan. Meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan is set to begin filming King in January 2025, marking his first collaboration with his daughter, Suhana Khan, alongside Abhishek Bachchan and Abhay Verma.