Aditya Pancholi claims he lost Tezaab to Anil Kapoor due to industry lobbying in cryptic note: “Politics in the film industry runs deeper” : Bollywood News
Actor Aditya Pancholi sparked conversation on social media after claiming that he originally starred in N. Chandra’s 1988 blockbuster. Tezaabopposite Madhuri Dixit. Pancholi took to X (formerly Twitter) on October 27, 2025 to share his version of events, alleging that his replacement in the film was influenced by “industry politics”.
Aditya Pancholi claims he lost Tezaab to Anil Kapoor due to industry lobbying in cryptic note: ‘Politics in film industry runs deeper’
In his post, Pancholi wrote, “I was the original choice for Tezaab (1988), opposite @MadhuriDixit. Director N. Chandra, always very present, can confirm this. Unfortunately, an actor, through his elder brother (who remains active in the industry), urged the director to replace me. The rest, as they say, is history.
He added, “Recently, I saw an #actor talking about nepotism while promoting his new film. Let me make it clear: politics in the film industry run deeper than #nepotism. Favoritism, manipulation and power plays shape careers more than family ties ever could.”
Although Pancholi refrained from naming anyone directly, his remarks are widely interpreted as a veiled reference to Tezaabthe lead actor, Anil Kapoor. The mention of “older brother”, which appears to refer to producer Boney Kapoor, also attracted attention – although Boney has not been associated with Tezaab at the time.
I was the original choice for Tezaab (1988), opposite @MadhuriDixit . Director N. Chandra, always very present, can confirm this.
Unfortunately, an actor, through his elder brother (who remains active in the industry), urged the director to replace me. The rest, like them… pic.twitter.com/0GsBvsK2KG
– Aditya Pancholi (@AdityaRPancholi) October 27, 2025
The film, directed by N. Chandra, became a turning point in the careers of Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit. He will celebrate his 37th birthday next November. So far, neither Anil Kapoor, Boney Kapoor nor N. Chandra have reacted to Pancholi’s claims.
Pancholi’s tweet quickly gained attention, sparking a flurry of comments from users sharing their own views on the inner workings of Bollywood.
A user wrote, “The actor you were talking about has always lobbied for roles and is known to take away other actors’ roles if they were better than his. He didn’t want Naseer sahab in Parinda. This is just an example of his insecurity throughout his career.” Pancholi replied, “Khuch baatein ankahi rehne dein. »
Another follower commented, “But you finally worked together in Musafir. Was there any animosity on the set sir? There was the whole Trimurti fiasco too. And I also heard that he wanted to have you in Virasat. Is that also true?” To this, Pancholi replied, “I will write about Trimurti another time. Thank you.”
A third user, however, defended the Kapoors, writing, “Boney and Anil Kapoor practically struggled to make their way to the top in the 80s. It is laughable to suggest that Boney used any power to influence Anil’s selection. You are a good actor but you lacked the boy-next-door appeal to succeed in such roles.” Pancholi did not respond to comment.
For now, Pancholi’s message continues to circulate online
Also Read: Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab Praise Their Son Sooraj Pancholi’s Performance in Kesari Veer: ‘I’m Really Proud of Him Because…’
More pages: Tezaab ticketing collection
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