It’s been 20 years since Lucky: No Time for Love hit the big screen. Helmed by filmmaker duo Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru — who last directed Yaariyan 2 (2023) — the romantic drama saw newcomer Sneha Ullal debut opposite actor Salman Khan.

At the time, Sneha’s casting created considerable buzz owing to her resemblance to actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who was previously in a relationship with Salman.

Probe the filmmakers about their decision to cast Sneha, who was last seen in the 2024 short film Bhranti, and they reply, “We were simply looking for a fresh face to play the title role. It was an extensive search, like we did for Mawra Hocane’s character in Sanam Teri Kasam (2016).”

They also reveal that it was Salman’s sister, Arpita Khan, who recommended Sneha. Addressing the actors’ resemblance, the duo tells us, “We didn’t cast Sneha because she looked like Aishwarya ma’am. But it was a goal to find someone like her, because she is the epitome of beauty.”

As for how Lucky came about, Vinay recalls, “We were directing songs when Radhika and I decided we should take the leap into feature films.” And they hit the ground running. “We had worked a lot with Asha Bhosle ji, so she graciously agreed to sing Lucky Lips,” he adds.

Talking about the shoot Radhika shares, “We shot with real soldiers and tanks belonging to the Russian Army. The locals didn’t speak English, so we had about 10 interpreters on set. We’d speak to them and then they would speak to the actors.”

She’s also all praise for the film’s leading man: “If there’s one person who’s consistently been an inspiration for us, it’s Salman. Whether you’re working with him or just spending time off set, you walk away having learnt something valuable.”

----------------------------------------------------------

The soundtrack (featuring singers such as Asha Bhosle and Sonu Nigam) was different and special. We had worked a lot with Asha ji, so she graciously agreed to sing Lucky Lips. We also got the chance to work with talented people such as Adnan Sami, who composed the music.

- Vinay Sapru, Director

I can’t even believe it’s been 20 years! I remember we shot with Russian Army soldiers and tanks. People would measure frozen ice so we could walk on it; it was mesmerizing. The locals didn’t speak English, so we had about 10 interpreters on set who’d speak to the actors.

- Radhika Rao, Director