The Yes Boss Crisis That Almost Ended a Partnership
In a stunning revelation that sheds new light on Bollywood's early 90s dynamics, veteran producer Ratan Jain has disclosed how a casual remark about replacing Shah Rukh Khan with Saif Ali Khan nearly cost him one of Hindi cinema's most successful partnerships. The incident occurred during the pre-production phase of their collaborative film Yes Boss, at a time when Shah Rukh Khan was establishing his foothold in the industry.
The Fateful Conversation That Sparked the Fire
During a recent interview with TV9 Bharatvarsh, Jain recounted the tense moment that almost derailed their professional relationship. "Aziz Mirza, the director, said if Shah Rukh doesn't want to do the film, we will make it with somebody else," Jain recalled. "And while talking to Shah Rukh, I ended up saying, 'If you don't want to do it, I will make it with Saif.' That was a huge mistake, I don't know how it slipped out of my mouth."
The producer's offhand comment about considering Saif Ali Khan as a replacement triggered an immediate and intense reaction from Shah Rukh Khan. According to Jain, the actor was furious for hours following the conversation and even called him in the middle of the night to express his anger.
Midnight Calls and Heated Exchanges
The situation escalated quickly when Shah Rukh Khan first called Hari Singh, who handled Jain's work, and "lashed out at him severely" according to the producer's account. The actor then directly confronted Jain, demanding to know "You are replacing me with Saif?" and famously asking "Saif, who?" in his anger.
Jain attempted to explain that the remark had simply slipped out unintentionally, but Shah Rukh remained unconvinced. "It doesn't work that way. What's in your mind, you said it," the actor responded, highlighting the depth of his offense at being considered replaceable.
The confrontation reached its peak when Shah Rukh Khan made a dramatic declaration: "Let's do one thing: I'll complete the film I'm doing for you, Baadshah, and after that, we won't work together." This ultimatum threatened to end what had been a highly successful collaboration that began with the groundbreaking film Baazigar.
Reconciliation and Continued Success
Despite the heated exchange and days of tension, the relationship between the actor and producer eventually recovered. Jain took responsibility for his mistake, acknowledging that "I apologised because I was in the wrong, and I shouldn't have said that."
The reconciliation proved fruitful as the duo went on to collaborate successfully on multiple projects including Badshah, Josh, and later, Jain served as co-producer on the blockbuster Main Hoon Na. Their professional relationship survived the Yes Boss controversy to create some of Bollywood's most memorable films.
In the same interview, Jain also revealed another casting drama involving Shah Rukh Khan during the making of Josh, where he insisted that only Shah Rukh would play the character of Max, despite director Mansoor Khan's interest in casting Aamir Khan for the role.
This revelation comes as Shah Rukh Khan prepares for his next big screen appearance in King, directed by Siddharth Anand and scheduled for release in 2026, proving that the superstar's determination and strong sense of self-worth have been consistent throughout his legendary career.
