Did Aditya Pancholi take a jibe at Anil Kapoor? Recalls being REPLACED in ‘Tezaab’ by actor with 'influential brother'

Aditya Pancholi has set the internet abuzz with a revelation that has left Bollywood fans talking. The actor, who recently joined X (formerly Twitter), dropped a bombshell by claiming that he was the original choice for the 1988 hit ‘Tezaab’, and seemingly took an indirect jibe at Anil Kapoor and his producer brother Boney Kapoor.

Aditya Pancholi recalls being replaced in ‘Tezaab’

Sharing a throwback photo of himself, the ‘Yes Boss’ actor wrote, “I was the original choice for Tezaab (1988), opposite @MadhuriDixit. Director N. Chandra, still very much around can confirm this.”


He further added how he was replaced from the film, “Unfortunately, an actor, through his elder brother (who remains active in the industry), influenced the director to replace me. The rest, as they say, is history.” The actor’s revelation came as a surprise, as he was never officially linked to the film before.

Netizens believe the post targets Kapoor brothers

Even though Aditya didn’t mention any names, social media users were quick to connect the dots. Fans strongly believed the ‘actor’ and his ‘elder brother’ mentioned in his tweet were Anil Kapoor and Boney Kapoor.

One user commented, “The actor you meant has always lobbied for roles and has been known to edit out other actors' parts if they were better than his. He didn't want Naseer sahab in Parinda. This is just one example of how insecure he has been throughout his career.”

To this, Aditya responded, “Khuch baatein Ankahi rehne dein. (Let some things remain unsaid)”

Another user added, “It was for sure referring to @AnilKapoor as it did not surprise. Anyway, Karma did not forget his address and not even a single cinegoer remembered that his son was an actor.”

Aditya Pancholi comments on politics in Bollywood

Pancholi also opened up about the darker side of the film industry. He wrote, “Recently, I saw an #actor speak about nepotism while promoting his new release. Let me say this clearly: Politics in the film industry runs deeper than #nepotism, favouritism, manipulation, and power games shape careers more than family ties ever could.”

Fans recall ‘Musafir’ and ‘Trimurti’ collaborations

Replying to Aditya’s post, one X user commented, “But you two eventually worked together in Musafir. Was there any animosity on set sir? There was the whole Trimurti fiasco also. And I’ve also heard he wanted to have u in Virasat. Is that also true?”

To this, Aditya replied briefly, “I will write about Trimurti another time. Thanks.”

About ‘Tezaab’

Released in 1988, ‘Tezaab’ turned out to be a massive hit. Directed by N. Chandra, it starred Anil Kapoor and Madhuri in lead roles, with the iconic song ‘Ek Do Teen’ making Madhuri a national sensation. The film revolved around Mahesh (Munna) and Mohini, two characters caught between love, revenge, and survival. It also featured Anupam Kher, Chunky Pandey, Annu Kapoor, Suresh Oberoi, Johnny Lever and others.
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