From action dramas to emotional love stories, he built a body of work that stayed popular across decades. Among his many films, ‘Dhadkan’ continued to stand out, not only for its success but also for an ending that almost changed the film’s entire meaning. A later revelation from Shilpa Shetty added fresh intrigue to the film and to Shetty’s much-loved character.
Film with an unseen ending
According to IANS, ‘Dhadkan’, released in 2000, ranked among Suniel Shetty’s most successful films. The film starred Shilpa Shetty and Akshay Kumar and drew from the novel ‘Wuthering Heights’. It followed Anjali, played by Shilpa, who belonged to a rich family. She loved Dev, played by Suniel, but her father disapproved. He pushed her to marry Ram, a rich businessman played by Akshay.
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Anjali agreed to her parents’ choice and married Ram, which broke Dev’s heart. Three years later, Dev returned as a rich man and tried to win her back. She had moved on and found stability with her husband. Dev reacted with anger and targeted Ram. The conflict intensified until Anjali revealed she carried Ram’s child. The film then shifted tone. Dev softened and finally stepped away.
The film ended on a positive note with the villain having a change of heart and walking away from the couple’s life, finding happiness in his business partner and lover, Sheetal (Mahima Chaudhry).
Climax that never reached the screen
She later shared on a reality show that the makers had planned a different ending for the film. She said, “The end of the film was not the one that was shown. There is a scene where Suniel says that ‘Agar tum mujhse door chali gayi to mere dil ki dhadkan khud ba khud ruk jayegi’ (If you go far away from me, the heartbeat of my heart will stop on its own).”
She explained that Dev was meant to die after Anjali revealed her pregnancy. “Suniel is sitting on a sofa and he dies because he realises that Anjali is actually gone. That was the original end, which wasn’t shot. He was the real hero,” she said.
Suniel Shetty agreed with her account and added, “It was a very beautiful ending but then everybody wanted it to be happier.”
Shilpa also shared that Suniel almost did not join the film due to scheduling issues. Another actor was initially cast, but the director felt he could not play Dev. “Finally, Suniel came on board. It was in his destiny to play the role,” she said.
The detail about the unshot ending gave fans a new reason to revisit ‘Dhadkan’ and Dev’s heartbreak.