SRK Asked Rs 6 Lakh For Ad, But Prahlad Kakkar Picked Aamir For Rs 17 Lakh: ‘He Needed It For Mannat’

Before Shah Rukh Khan became Bollywood’s superstar, Prahlad Kakkar faced a decision that would later become a talking point in the industry. The ad, featuring Mahima Chaudhry and Aishwarya Rai, presented an opportunity where both SRK and Aamir Khan were considered, but Kakkar had a clear preference.

He told Vickey Lalwani, “Aamir was charging some Rs 17 lakhs and Shah Rukh was only charging Rs 6 Lakh at that time. And why Shah Rukh was charging Rs 6 Lakh was also because he was short of Rs 6 Lakh for buying his house (Mannat). So he said, I am short of Rs 6 Lakh, you give me and I will do the ad. So I said he is not right for the film. I wanted the actor. I wanted someone who had the image of an actor. Money was not my concern. Then they went

round the mulberry bush and then after about six months of negotiating Aamir said yes. He didn’t say yes to them, they said yes to him. He didn’t budge.”

Kakkar explained what set the two young stars apart at the time. “What was differentiating the two at that time because they were both very young, very good looking, very charming?” he asked rhetorically.

“The image that Aamir had with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak was an innocent boy next door. Just a nice, clean boy. And that’s what I needed for the ad film. And Shah Rukh was there but he didn’t have such a clean image. Because his first film was Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman. Or something like that. And the character that he played was not as squeaky clean as the character that Aamir played.”

While SRK was ready to lower his fee to meet Kakkar’s budget, the filmmaker prioritised the essence of the ad over the cost. Aamir’s clean, trustworthy persona fit perfectly with the campaign’s vision.