Hrithik Roshan and Ranbir Kapoor as modern-age Karan Arjun? Rakesh Roshan spills beans on replacing Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan with alternate jodi

In a recent interview, director Rakesh Roshan revealed that Hrithik Roshan and Ranbir Kapoor could potentially step in as an alternate jodi for the legendary characters of Karan and Arjun for a modern-age Karan Arjun.

In a conversation with Etimes, Rakesh Roshan said, “I won’t remake Karan Arjun or make a sequel but If I were to think of an alternate jodi for the movie today, I would cast as Karan and as Arjun”.

In the same interview, the director explained the casting decisions behind Karan Arjun, stating that ‘s physique and compelling eyes made him an ideal choice for the role of Karan.

Roshan admired Salman’s fit body, which was ahead of its time, setting a trend for fitness in the industry. He wanted Karan to be a character whose eyes spoke volumes despite his quiet demeanor, and Salman perfectly fit this vision.

As for , director shared that having worked with him in King Uncle (1993) and been impressed by his performance in Fauji, he envisioned him as Arjun.

Reflecting on Karan Arjun’s enduring success, Roshan revealed that when he first conceptualized the film, 80-90% of his team was skeptical, unsure of its potential.

He explained that while reincarnation was a popular theme in love stories at the time, the mother-son angle had not been explored much. The central theme of a mother pleading with God to return her slain sons, and her prayers being answered, became the film’s emotional core and contributed to its lasting impact.

Rakesh also spoke about his close relationship with his brother, music composer Rajesh Roshan, and how integral his music is to his films. He explained that coming from a musical family, music was a natural part of their lives.

If Rajesh composed something that Rakesh didn’t like, he would freely criticize it, as they were brothers and could have such open disagreements.