This Film Rejected by Salman Khan & Shah Rukh Khan, Featured 40 Stars

JP Dutta, a renowned director, writer, and producer, may not have a vast filmography, but the few films he has made have left a lasting impact, with audiences still enjoying them today. His iconic film Border is even getting a sequel, much to the excitement of his fans. One of his most ambitious projects, however, holds the record for being the longest film in the world at 4 hours and 15 minutes – a project that faced numerous challenges, including rejection from several big stars.

The Stars Who Said No

It’s said that JP Dutta first approached Salman Khan for a role in LOC Kargil, but with one catch – the director wanted Salman to do it for free. Salman reportedly questioned why he should take on the role without payment if the film wasn’t going to be offered to distributors for free either. When talks with Salman didn’t work out, Dutta turned to Shah Rukh Khan for the role played by Sanjay Dutt. Unfortunately, that didn’t materialize either.

In addition, Anil Kapoor and Tusshar Kapoor both dropped out of the film, and Rahul Khanna even exited after he had already signed on. The list of stars who declined the film includes Akshay Kumar, Sushmita Sen, Dino Morea, Arbaaz Khan, Jackie Shroff, Sameera Reddy, and many others such as Mukesh Khanna, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Danny Denzongpa, Inder Kumar, Fardeen Khan, Sonu Sood, Bobby Deol, and Salil Ankola, each with their own reasons for walking away from the project.

A Tribute to Real Heroes

Despite these hurdles, LOC Kargil eventually took shape as a tribute to the real-life martyrs of the Kargil War. Initially, there were discussions about different names for the film, with titles like Mission Vijay and Mission Kargil being floated. Eventually, Dutta settled on LOC Kargil. The movie, with a reported budget of Rs 33 crore, portrayed the heroic stories of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the Kargil conflict.

Notable actors played the roles of real-life war heroes, including Saif Ali Khan as Captain Anuj, Ajay Devgn as Captain Manoj Pandey, and Abhishek Bachchan as Captain Vikram Batra. The film even went the extra mile by incorporating real weapons, including the Bofors FH-77B artillery cannon, used during the shooting to lend authenticity to the battle scenes.

Despite the initial setbacks and the challenges faced during production, LOC Kargil remains a significant film in Indian cinema, both for its historical relevance and its portrayal of valor and sacrifice.