‘Darr’ is considered one of Shah Rukh Khan’s most memorable roles, with his stammering delivery of “K..K..K..Kiran” still remembered by fans. Despite the negative character, SRK embraced such roles early in his career, evident in both ‘Baazigar’ and ‘Darr’. However, Aamir Khan was initially cast for the role later played by Sunny Deol.
Aamir Khan once revealed in an interview with Sushma Dutt in Vancouver why he did not take the part. Touring at the time, Aamir mentioned he appreciated the story of ‘Darr’ and was eager to work with director Yash Chopra again, having previously collaborated on ‘Parampara’. Aamir explained his principle or policy for films with two or more heroes, which involves a joint narration from the director to ensure both actors are satisfied with their roles, a practice that worked well during ‘Andaz Apna Apna’ with Salman Khan. However, Yash Chopra did not agree to a joint narration for ‘Darr’, leading to Aamir’s removal from the project.
Sunny Deol was then cast in the role, resulting in a significant feud with Shah Rukh Khan during filming. The conflict arose over a scene where Sunny’s character, a navy officer, was attacked from behind by SRK’s character, a scenario Sunny found implausible. The disagreement escalated to the point where Sunny, in a fit of anger, ripped his pants, shocking everyone on set. Following this incident, Sunny and SRK did not speak for 16 years. The two eventually reconciled, delighting fans when SRK attended the success party of ‘Gadar 2’ last year.
