Aditya Pancholi recently took an indirect dig at Anil Kapoor in his cryptic X post, claiming the 1988 superhit film, Tezaab, was first offered to him, but was later taken away from him, 'through his elder brother.'
Aditya Pancholi; Madhuri Dixit and Anil Kapoor in Tezaab
Actor Aditya Pancholi recently went all guns blazing on his X (formerly Twitter) account as he shared an explosive yet cryptic post seemingly targeting Anil Kapoor. The actor mentioned that he was the first choice for the 1988 superhit Tezaab, but was replaced by Anil using his "elder brother's" influence.
Aditya Pancholi shares cryptic post
Aditya on his X account shared, "I was the original choice for Tezaab (1988), opposite MadhuriDixit. Director N. Chandra, still very much around, can confirm this." Further levelling serious allegations, he wrote, "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."
I was the original choice for Tezaab (1988), opposite @MadhuriDixit . Director N. Chandra, still very much around can confirm this.
— Aditya Pancholi (@AdityaRPancholi) October 27, 2025
Unfortunately, an actor, through his elder brother (who remains active in the industry), influenced the director to replace me. The rest, as they… pic.twitter.com/0GsBvsK2KG
Further talking about the nepotism debate, Aditya 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."
Although Pancholi did not take names, it was evident that he was hinting at Anil Kapoor, since Tezaab starred Anil and Madhuri in the lead roles.
Replying to the tweet, one user pointed out, "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?" Aditya responded to the user, promising that he will speak about the Tezaab controversy too, saying, "I will write about Trimurti another time. Thanks"
Tezaab controversy
Interestingly, there are several earlier reports suggesting Anil Kapoor was never the first choice for the male lead of this film. An India.com report claims the makers reportedly had Aditya Pancholi’s name in mind initially, since the director N. Chandra was impressed by his performance in TV serials. However, Anil Kapoor eventually got the film because of Boney Kapoor’s interference. Now, Aditya's claims further confirm the news reports.
Additionally, it is also reported that Madhuri was not the first choice for Tezaab. It was first offered to actress Meenakshi Sheshadri. However, the deal with her could not be closed despite several negotiations with her regarding the fees.
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