A popular piece of Bollywood trivia, revisited by Aamir Khan over the years, reveals that ‘Teesri Manzil’ had an almost entirely different lead. Eventually he became one of them Shammi Kapoorthe most iconic films were planned early on Dev Anand in leadership However, an unexpected clash involving a filmmaker Nasir Hussain it led to a dramatic fallout that completely changed the casting and direction of the film.When ‘Teesri Manzil’ had another heroIn a chat with Mashable India, Aamir Khan once recalled that while ‘Teesri Manzil’ was initially being developed with Dev Anand, Nasir Hussain was directing the project. At the same time, Nasir was also producing ‘Baharon Ke Sapne’, which was directed by his brother Vijay Anand and featured a young man. Rajesh Khanna Along with Asha Parekh. Both films were progressing at the same time, but an unexpected incident soon changed their course.
Narrating what he heard from his uncle, Aamir said that the trouble started at actress Sadhana’s engagement party. “Nasir was very close to Vijay Anand and Nasir was also a friend of Dev Anand,” he shared, before going on to explain what transpired that evening.During the meeting, Dev reportedly compared the two films, referring to ‘Teesri Manzil’ as a “big film” while calling “Baharon Ke Sapne” a “small film”. This did not sit well with Nasir, and an argument ensued that quickly escalated.Describing the moment, Aamir said, “Nasir Saab said there are no small or big films. They started fighting and were hitting each other.” He added that he later verified the story with Sadhana himself, who confirmed the chaos, saying, “Haan haan, dono daru peeke jhagda kar rahe the”. (Yes, yes, they were both drunk and fighting.) The incident, shocking as it was, became a turning point for both films.With Dev Anand’s exit came Shammi Kapoor’s entryAfter the decision, Nasir Hussain took a firm decision. Aamir recalled, “Dev will not be a part of ‘Teesri Manzil’, he is out.” The film was then given to Vijay Anand as the director, and Shammi Kapoor took the lead role. Meanwhile, Nasir shifted his focus to ‘Baharon Ke Sapne’. It proved to be a masterful remake, and ‘Teesri Manzil’ was a huge success.An abrupt break for Nasir Hussain and Dev Anand’s partnershipInterestingly, Nasir Hussain and Dev Anand have previously worked together in films like ‘Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai’, ‘Paying Guest’ and ‘Munimji’. This makes the fallout all the more significant, as it brought a successful creative partnership to an abrupt halt. In retrospect, the episode remains one of the most fascinating moments in Bollywood, where a single night changed the fate of a classic film.
