It has been 16 long years since Nikkhil Advani's Kal Ho Naa Ho released but it still feels so fresh. Shah Rukh Khan's and Preity Zinta's heartbreaking love story and Saif Ali Khan's heartwarming friendship still feels like yesterday. And we all agree to producer Karan Johar calling it ‘a love of lifetime within a heartbeat’. The songs, the cast and the performance delivered by the actors, everything was just so perfect. The film received a lot of appreciation and love from the audience as well as critics which also reflected in huge box office numbers. The film went on to win two National Film Awards and eight Filmfare Awards.

Kal Ho Naa Ho is a romantic drama film written by Karan Johar. The plot of the film revolves around Naina Katherine Kapoor (Preity Zinta) who is an MBA student in New York. She falls in love with her neighbour Aman Mathur (Shah Rukh Khan), a terminally ill patient who tries to get Naina and her friend Rohit Patel (Saif Ali Khan) to fall in love with each other since he fears she will grieve for him if he reciprocates her feelings. The film made tough souls cry and is still considered as one of the iconic films of Bollywood.

Backed by Karan ‘s Dharma Productions, the film also starred Jaya Bachchan, Sonali Bendre, Delnaaz Irani, Ketvi Dev, late Reema Lagoo, Lillete Dubey, Satish Shah, Sushma Seth, Sanjay Kapoor and more. The film had hit the theatres on November 28, 2003.

And while we absolutely love the original cast and agree that no one can do it better, here’s our try at replacing the cast of Kal Ho Naa Ho with our very own new-age actors who would match today’s time for the remake. Along with the replaced cast, we will also give out five things you probably didn’t know about this epic film.

RANBIR KAPOOR AS SHAH RUKH KHAN

Did you know Shah Rukh Khan had fallen ill while shooting for the film and had thought to quit it?

ALIA BHATT AS PREITY ZINTA

Did you know not Preity Zinta but the film was first offered to Kareena Kapoor Khan but she rejected it?

VARUN DHAWAN AS SAIF ALI KHAN

ANUSHKA SHARMA AS SONALI BENDRE

Did you know Karan Johar regrets not directing the film himself?

MALAIKA ARORA AS LILETTE DUBEY

SHIKHA TALSANIA AS DELNAAZ IRANI

Not Preity Zinta but the film was first offered to Kareena Kapoor Khan but she rejected it.

REKHA AS LATE REEMA LAGOO

NEENA GUPTA AS JAYA BACHCHAN

Karan Johar dealt with personal tragedy right after the film released as his father Yash Johar passed away

SEEMA PAHWA AS SUSHMA SETH

DHARMENDRA AS DARA SINGH

Really! The tunes of Kal Ho Naa Ho were composed at a bakery

How we wish Karan Johar turns director for the Gen-Y version!

(Source: PeepingMoon)