Aamir Khan and director Mansoor Khan reminisced about the creation of their 1988 hit Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (QSQT) during its screening at the Red Lorry Film Festival in Mumbai on Friday. The romantic tragedy, Aamir’s debut as a lead alongside Juhi Chawla, transformed from a happy-ending draft to a modern Romeo and Juliet, defying initial expectations to become a cinematic milestone.

Aamir shared how the script, co-written with Nasir Hussain and Nuzhat, evolved when Mansoor stepped in after Nasir’s bypass surgery. “Mansoor reworked 80% of it, aligning it with our vision—Nuzhat and I struggled to challenge Nasir sahab’s ideas,” Aamir said. Mansoor, rejecting nepotism claims, credited his prior short film Umberto (1981-82) for his directorial debut. He revealed shooting both a tragic ending—preferred by him—and a happy one urged by Nasir, where Goga Kapoor’s character died, though the latter was scrapped.

Originally titled Nafrat Ke Waris, with a poster shot in Lonavala, the film’s name changed when Nasir, after a drink, proposed Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. Neither foresaw its runaway success. “I worried about my scenes, unprepared for the overnight fame,” Aamir admitted. Mansoor recalled packed Gaiety-Galaxy screenings, with audiences reciting dialogues, proving Nasir’s belief in word-of-mouth triumph.

The National Award-winning film now inspires a reunion. Mansoor, inactive since Josh (2000), plans to adapt his 2023 book ONE: The Story of the Ultimate Myth into a movie with Aamir. “It’s a stunning story—we’ll start the screenplay soon,” Aamir said, hinting at a collaboration fans eagerly await after decades.