Released in 1999 the musical romance Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam was a major hit of its time. Audiences adored the trio of Salman Khan Ajay Devgn and Aishwarya Rai. The movie received high acclaim from both audiences and critics. Helmed by ace director Sanjay Leela Bhansali it became one of the biggest hits of the era. However did you know that it was challenging for Bhansali to cast the right actor for the film? While he was clear about his choice for the actress finding the right lead actor proved difficult as he approached several actors without success. According to media reports Sanjay had already worked with Salman in Khamoshi: The Musical and was eager to collaborate with him again. Thus two main actors—Aishwarya Rai and Salman Khan—were finalized. However for the role of Vanraj the director had a few names in mind. Reports claim Bhansali approached several actors including Aamir Khan Shah Rukh Khan Akshay Kumar Sanjay Dutt and Anil Kapoor. However each turned down the role and eventually Ajay Devgn was cast. To this day the reasons these actors declined remain unknown. Regarding Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’s budget the movie was made on a budget of rs 15 crore and went on to become a huge blockbuster grossing rs 50 crore worldwide. One of the main reasons for its success was its evergreen soundtrack featuring hits such as Chand Chupa Badal Mein Nimbooda Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyan Tadap Tadap Dholi Taro Man Mohini and the title track Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. This year Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam celebrated its 25th anniversary. Few people know that during the filming Aishwarya who dazzled audiences with her iconic dance in Nimbooda suffered a mishap performing the dance with swollen feet due to a chandelier accident on set. The movie also sparked a real-life romance between Salman and Aishwarya.