Suniel Shetty, who rose to stardom with the 1994 blockbuster Mohra, recently opened up about working with the late Divya Bharti on the film before her untimely demise. The action-thriller, which went on to become a major hit, starred Suniel alongside Akshay Kumar and Raveena Tandon. However, not many know that Divya was originally cast in Raveena’s role and had even shot a few scenes before tragedy struck.In an interview with Radio Nasha, Suniel recalled shooting with Divya Bharti at the historic Belgaum jail. “That girl was absolutely fearless. She was full of life and masti,” he said, reflecting on her vibrant personality. “Hum Rajiv ko kaise sata sakte hain, Shabir ko kaise sata sakte hain, hamari planning wahi rehti thi. (Our plan was always about how to prank director Rajiv Rai and Shabbir Boxwala). What should we do to get people to laugh and lighten the atmosphere?”Suniel described Divya as a “treat to work with” and remembered how she brought joy and liveliness to the set. Unfortunately, Divya’s sudden passing, just a week into filming, left the team shocked and devastated. Following her death, the makers recast Raveena Tandon in the role that would go on to become one of her most iconic performances.
Suniel also addressed Anil Kapoor’s old jibe calling him and Akshay Kumar “50% waale heroes” after Mohra’s poster released. In the same interview, he said, “He was a star, so he could say that. He meant one hero should’ve been cast instead of two.”He admitted the comment stung but added, “We hadn’t become stars like him yet, but we believed we would. Mohra changed everything—especially for me.” Suniel also praised Anil, calling him a great actor and a good human being once you get to know him.Directed by Rajiv Rai, Mohra featured an ensemble cast including Naseeruddin Shah, Raza Murad, Paresh Rawal, Gulshan Grover, and Sadashiv Amrapurkar. With chartbusters like “Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast” and high-octane action, the film solidified Suniel Shetty’s position as an action hero and became one of the top-grossing films of the year.
