Anil Kapoor

and

Madhuri Dixit

were a hit pair during the late 80s and the 90s. They did several movies together, right from ‘Beta’ to ‘

Tezaab

‘ among many more.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra

‘s original choice for ‘

1942 A Love Story

‘ was Madhuri. However, he cast

Manisha Koirala

eventually when Madhuri just wouldn’t talk to him and he had to only talk to her secretary all the time.

Chopra recalled that Madhuri was upset when Manisha was cast, but he had to. Vidhu also feels that casting Manisha was a blessing in disguise because she was just brilliant.
In an old interview with Movie Magazine in 1994, Chopra had spoken about this. He had said, “I had considered Madhuri,Ashwini and Manisha all for the role.I saw Madhuri’s pictures and finalised her for the role.Thencame the problem. Every time I tried to reach her, I couldn’t. It was her secretary, Rikku I had to speak to. Now I’m a maker who needs my actors to be at the other end of the line.I may need to communicate some new idea to her. I would request all actors, not stars who are selling their ass for money, but actors to be always accessible to their directors.”
He further added, “At that time Madhuri had been very hurt by all this and had countered What dedication was I supposed to show before the shooting began? She had to say that to the press. All I know is that I can’t handle secretaries. All actors should know that secretaries get their cuts from the producers. Producers send them whisky bottles and keep them happy. I can’t do that. If I die tomorrow, the tribe of film secretaries will be the happiest. I’m not saying that Rikku is a bad man or that there was friction. He was just high-handed which I suspect, he’s with everybody.”
Thus commenting on Madhuri’s secretary, Vidhu had spoken about the cost of the actor’s staff and why producers should pay. “I can’t take so many things others do. Like paying the stars’ drivers. Tell me one good reason why the producer has to do that. Haven’t the stars hired them? Yet, in 1942 I’ve ended up paying. Others don’t protest. I do. And it works. Most probably Madhuri will be doing my next film and this time I suspect she’ll pick up the phone when I call.”

Vidhu was quite happy eventually with the fact that Manisha was cast. “She’s brilliant. She’ll be the biggest surprise of the film like the Jackie Shroff of Parinda. The little regret that I had when Madhuri and I fell out is gone. If anything it proved to be a blessing in disguise,” he had said.