Archana Puran Singh's son Ayushmann almost starred in remake of Shah Rukh Khan's blockbuster, reveals why he was rejected: 'They wanted someone...'

Although he made a name for himself on the small screen, actor Parmeet Sethi became a household name overnight by playing Kuljeet, the hot-headed and entitled fiancé of Kajol’s character Simran in the 1995 blockbuster ‘ Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’.

Nearly three decades later, as filmmaker Aditya Chopra introduced Come Fall in Love, the international stage musical version of DDLJ, destiny almost repeated itself within the same family when Parmeet’s younger son came close to playing the very role that had made his father famous.

During a YouTube Live session celebrating the one-million-subscriber milestone of the family’s channel, AAAP Ka Parivaar, Parmeet shared an interesting anecdote about his son Ayushmaan Sethi, who is also chasing an acting career. He revealed that Ayushmaan auditioned for the role of Kuljeet in Come Fall in Love, the Broadway adaptation staged at London’s West End, and had even made it to the final shortlist before narrowly missing the part.

Ayushmaan, who joined his parents during the YouTube Live session, later explained why he didn’t land the part. He shared that the production team was specifically looking for someone with extensive training and experience in Western classical singing. Although he had some background in that musical style, his expertise didn’t fully match the level they were seeking. Like his elder brother, Aaryamaan Sethi, Ayushmaan is an alumnus of the prestigious Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York, where both trained in professional acting techniques.

Joining the conversation, Archana Puran Singh, Parmeet’s wife and well-known television personality, spoke candidly about the journey of newcomers in the film industry. She said that while the word “struggle” is widely used in India to describe aspiring artists, she prefers to call it the journey of an “aspiring actor,” as it better reflects the optimism and persistence involved.

Archana also addressed the frequent confusion surrounding her sons’ ages. She clarified that their elder son, Aaryamaan, was born in 1996, while the younger one, Ayushmaan, arrived in 1999. Taking a lighthearted jab at Wikipedia, she corrected its misleading information that claimed Aaryamaan was 33 years old, emphasizing that he hasn’t even reached 30 yet.

Directed by Aditya Chopra in his debut, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge told the endearing tale of Raj and Simran—two young NRIs who fall in love while traveling across Europe and face cultural and familial challenges before uniting. The romantic drama, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, and Amrish Puri, became a landmark in Indian cinema and continues to be celebrated for its timeless charm and emotional depth.