Bollywood films of the 90s and early 2000s were known for their romance drama music and action. One such film that remains memorable for its captivating storytelling and soothing songs is the 2000 release Dhadkan. Starring Shilpa Shetty Akshay Kumar and Shilpa Shetty in lead roles Dhadkan directed by Dharmesh Darshan proved to be a blockbuster at the theatres. Made in a budget of Rs 9 crore the film grossed approximately Rs 26 crore. Despite its 2-hour and 41-minute runtime it kept audiences engaged throughout. But did you know that Dhadkan was shelved for nearly four years before it finally hit the big screen? Yes thats right! In 1996 following the box-office success of Raja Hindustani starring Aamir Khan and Karisma Kapoor many actors and actresses were keen to collaborate with director Dharmesh. In an interview Dharmesh recounted that Aamir Khan approached him to quicky make another film titled Mela due to rapid downfall of his brother Faisals film career. Dharmesh left everything and focused on Mela. Eventually Dhadkan got delayed for four years as the shooting of Mela was going on.  The moment the filming of Mela was wrapped up Dharmesh joined the sets of Dhadkan giving the film its title. After considering several actors and actresses Akshay Kumar and Shilpa Shetty were ultimately cast as Ram and Anjali. Since the character of Dev was a bit complex it was turned down by many actors including Arbaaz Khan and Bobby Deol. However Sunil Shetty stepped in and agreed to taken on the role which proved to be a pivotal decision. Interestingly Dhadkan was released on August 11 on Sunil Shettys 39th birthday. His performance made him won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor in the negative role.