Actor Deepak Tijori shared a close professional bond with the filmmaker Mahesh Bhat and has worked with him in popular films like Aashiqui, Dil Chahta Hai and Sadak. In a recent interview, the actor spoke about the filmmaker’s mentorship and a memorable anecdote about Aashiqui’s casting.
In a conversation with Filmfare, when asked about the strictest and most straightforward directors he has worked with, Tijori immediately pointed to Mahesh Bhatt. “I really enjoyed working with some directors and learned a lot from them. One of them is Mahesh Bhatt, a name that always resonates. Working with him was like being in a school,” he said.
Referring to Bhatt’s reputation for being demanding, Tijori admitted that he was often teased on set, but never in a harmful way. “Oh, I’ve been scolded many times. But the way he scolds comes from a place of love. He’s never abusive and he never humiliates anyone. Everything he says is actually careless, although people often misinterpret it as rude. It’s not.”
Why Deepak Tijori Chose the Role of a Supporting Actor in Aashiqui
Tijori then recalled a moment from Aashiqui’s early days, revealing how she decided to step aside and opt for a supporting role. “When four of us were vying for the role of Aashiqui and we were all fighting together, we often sat together. There was Rahul, me, Raj Zutshi and Akshay Anand. One day, all four of us were sitting on the sets of Daddy. Mahesh Bhatt told us, ‘I am about to do a romantic film. You four decide among yourselves who will be the hero. I will come back after finishing my shoot.’ At first, it seemed like he was trying to pit us against each other, but not that one.” “was the case.”
When Bhatt returned and asked what they had decided, Tijori chose honesty. “I told Bhatt Sahab very clearly, ‘I know you won’t make me the hero because I have already done five or six bad films and small roles. Based on that, I know you won’t launch me, no one will. I am fine playing a supporting role. Let the other three decide between them.’ That’s how you deal with him.”
When Mahesh Bhatt tried to cast Deepak Tijori as the lead
Despite this, Tijori revealed that the filmmaker later tried to break his image as a supporting actor. “After a while, once I played Sadak in a supporting role and also Aashiqui, he himself thought of upgrading me and planned a film with me as the lead. He even intended to announce it publicly,” he said. However, industry perception proved to be an obstacle. “The entire industry had already labeled me as a supporting actor and that’s why he couldn’t get me out of that image.”
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Deepak’s bond with Rahul Roy
Tijori also spoke warmly about his bond with Aashiqui co-star Rahul Roy. “Rahul and I became close because he was not really an industry insider, and Bhatt Sahab knew that I had struggled and spent four to five years finding my place in the industry. He gave me the responsibility of guiding him, teaching him, correcting him and helping him prepare.”
That responsibility soon became a lifelong bond. “I took care of him like a brother back then, and even today I love him so much and take care of him. Wherever we go together, I make sure to take care of him,” Tijori said.
Rahul Roy and Deepak Tijori’s fees for Aashiqui
In an earlier interview with Bollywood Hungama, Deepak Tijori had revealed that he was paid Rs 20,000 for his role in Aashiqui. Talking about the remuneration, he said, “I was paid Rs 20,000. It was the fixed rate for all of us, including Rahul and me. There was no room for negotiation, what we got was more than enough. Mukesh ji has always been like that.”
Deepak’s scene was cut in Aashiqui.
In the same interview, Tijori He also shared an interesting behind-the-scenes story about cutting one of his scenes.
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“When the film was being edited, we used to stay and watch the process. There was a very emotional scene between Rahul and me. It lasted almost two minutes. Bhatt Saab initially had it in the first half, but then moved it to the second half. He then asked for it to be trimmed. In the end, it was reduced to 45 seconds. As actors, we are hungry for screen time. But what could we say? Then one day, Bhatt Saab asked for the scene to be removed completely.”
Tijori said he finally asked Mahesh Bhatt why the scene was cut and the filmmaker responded candidly, saying, “I tried, you saw it, didn’t you? But if you act better than my hero, the scene can’t be in the film. My hero is my hero. People have to love my hero for the film to be a success.”
Released in 1990, Aashiqui became a huge hit at the box office, turning Rahul Roy and Anu Aggarwal into stars overnight. The film then had a spiritual sequel in 2013, Aashiqui 2., starring Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor, who also enjoyed great commercial success.