Raj Kapoor wanted to produce the film after seeing the South Indian version. He wanted to take Kamal Haasan in the lead role. Kamal told Raj Kapoor not to worry about his price. Unfortunately, Kamal Hassan quoted a high price for the story. Raj Kapoor decided to back off. A month later Raj Kapoor approached Kamal Hassan again. By then Kamal had sold the remake rights to someone else.
Kamal Hassan stated that a certain soul and magic was missing from the film. It was not due to Kamal not being in the film, but the director being creatively bored for making the same film all over again.
K Vishwanath and Mallikarjun Rao had signed Anil Kapoor for a film. They narrated 3 scripts to him and he did not like any. Anil had seen the original film Swathi Muthiam and wanted to do the film. But he felt it would go against his star image and he was too young for the role. Meanwhile Anil had invited Raj Kapoor over for a housewarming party . Anil knew that Raj Kapoor wanted Kamal Hasaan for the role. But at the party Raj Kapoor told Anil he would he perfect for the film. This confused Anil as he knew Kamal Hassan was about to do the film in Hindi with Raj Kapoor. Finally the deal with Raj Kapoor fell thru and Anil approached K Vishwanath about the film. Anil promised to do the film for half his market price. Boney Kapoor also saw the film and encouraged Anil to do the film in Hindi.
The director was keen to cast Jayaprada as the heroine but Anil refused to act with her, to settle an old score. Jayaprada had refused to star opposite him in Shekar Kapur's Joshilay because he was not a big star then.
Anil Kapooor literally gave a new interpretation to the role without mimicking Kamal Hassan.