Over three decades after its release, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar remains one of Bollywood’s most cherished coming-of-age dramas. But few knew how close the 1992 classic came to never being completed, until now. In a candid interview with SCREEN, director Mansoor Khan opened up about the tumultuous behind-the-scenes struggles that nearly derailed the film, and how his cousin and lead actor Aamir Khan became his pillar of support during the most challenging phase of his career.
Often viewed as a spiritual cousin to the 1979 American film Breaking Away, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar has frequently been labeled a loose adaptation. However, Mansoor Khan dismisses the notion that the film is merely a remake. “The film is actually semi-autobiographical,” he revealed. “A lot of Aamir Khan’s character, Sanju, was actually derived from my own life.”
While the film eventually earned critical acclaim and box office success, Khan confessed that the initial production was a disaster. He recounted that after more than a month of shooting in Ooty, Coonoor, and Mumbai, including several musical sequences, the project was falling apart. “I won’t take names, but those people were absolutely unprofessional. They made life miserable, not just for me, but for the entire crew,” he said.
Khan shared that around 60–70% of the film had to be reshot due to poor casting choices, decisions he fully owns up to. “The film was turning out really badly, and it also nearly stalled. I felt like giving up,” he admitted. “But the film’s story is about getting up and winning. So in a way, life was mirroring art. We stayed quiet. We threw those guys out. They went to the press, said all kinds of nasty things about me and Aamir. But we didn’t respond. Our focus was clear—we had a film to make, and a good one. And in the end, the result is in front of you.”
In one of the more emotional moments of the interview, Mansoor revealed the personal toll the experience took on him. “I was in a really dark place then, depressed, on the verge of a breakdown. I used to wake up in the middle of the night crying during the shoot,” he shared.
It was Aamir Khan who encouraged him to keep going. “Aamir said, ‘Throw these guys out. We’ll make a good film.’” That turning point sparked a revival in the project, including a critical casting change that brought in actor Deepak Tijori.
Mansoor originally cast Milind Soman based on looks and physique, a decision he later regretted. “Why I call it a child of destiny is because Milind went out, and Deepak came in,” he said. “Deepak had actually tested with Milind. But Milind got the part… I wasn’t making casting decisions properly back then.”
Ironically, those who were dismissed tried to return once the film started gaining momentum. “Some of those same people came back to me later, including Milind Soman,” Khan noted. “They didn’t understand filmmaking. They didn’t understand humility, or the director’s role, or that the film is bigger than any individual—bigger than the actor, the director, or the producer. They came in with strange ideas. But again, the mistake was mine. I shouldn’t have cast them.”
Released in 1992, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar starred Aamir Khan, Ayesha Jhulka, Deepak Tijori, Mamik Singh, Pooja Bedi, and Kulbhushan Kharbanda. The film told the story of Sanjay, a carefree young man who finds purpose and pride through competitive cycling. Backed by Jatin–Lalit’s iconic soundtrack and timeless themes of ambition, rivalry, and redemption, the film has cemented its status as a cult favourite.