Action movies and violence were ruling the big screen. Suddenly, on April 29, 1988, a film (Qayamat se Qayamat tak) was released that spread a whole new color of love across India like a breath of fresh air. People called it 'QSQT' for short. This movie marked Mansoor Khan's entry into direction. It was also the first big splash for the duo of Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla. Nasir Hussain wrote and produced it. This was not just another love story. It became a cult classic. It brought back the era of romance and melody. Even today, it is counted among the 'Top 25 Must-See Bollywood Films'.

The plot is based on the deep-rooted enmity between two Thakur families. Two brothers from Dhanakpur village, Jaswant and Dhanraj, love their sister Madhumati very much. However, Ratan from a wealthy Rajput family betrayed Madhu. When she became pregnant, Ratan refused to marry her. The humiliation and grief drove Madhu to take her own life. Driven mad by anger, her brother Dhanraj killed Ratan. This event built a permanent wall of hate between the two families. Dhanraj went to jail. Jaswant moved to Delhi with the rest of the family. Years later, Dhanraj's son Raj and the daughter of the rival family, Rashmi, fall in love. They elope. Sadly, the old family feud eventually takes their lives. The ending reminds everyone of William Shakespeare's play 'Romeo and Juliet'.

The making of the film is quite fascinating. Mansoor Khan wanted new and young people in his team. Originally, the film was going to be named 'Nafrat Ke Waaris'. Nasir Hussain was very clear about launching Aamir Khan as the hero. And wanted his young son to direct the film as he was very unwell at that time. He had seen a telefilm by Mansoor and decided right then that Mansoor would direct this one. Nasir Saab wanted senior actors like Shammi Kapoor and Sanjeev Kumar for the lead senior characters family roles. Mansoor Khan flatly refused Nasir Saab's idea . Mansoor felt they were too senior. He wouldn't have been comfortable directing them.
Something funny happened during casting too. Aamir Khan actually took Juhi Chawla's audition for the role of Rashmi. At that time, Juhi had no idea that Aamir was the hero of the film. Aamir was also working as an assistant director on the set. In the climax, a gang is shown bothering Juhi. The leader of that 'Baba Gang' was Makrand Deshpande. It also included Aamir's brother Faisal Khan and Yatin Karyekar. Dalip Tahil played Aamir's father. Interestingly, he was only 31 years old at the time. He wasn't even married yet. He accepted the role without thinking twice.

Why Mansoor Khan Chose Anand-Milind Over R.D. Burman

Music was the backbone of this film. It was a turning point for the duo Anand-Milind and singers Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik. Nasir Hussain's films usually featured music by R.D. Burman. But Mansoor Khan set a condition. He did not want to work with Pancham Da. He was afraid that because R.D. Burman was such a legend, he wouldn't be able to ask for changes. So he chose Anand-Milind instead. Udit Narayan's voice fit Aamir perfectly. The song 'Papa Kehte Hain' became an anthem across the country. Famous lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri wrote this song at the age of 70. The songs of this movie were all hits. For example papa kahte hain, Ae mere humsafar akele hai to kya gam hai, gazab ka hai din, kahey sataye. The music rights were sold to Gulshan Kumar for just Rs 4 lakh. This became the first major hit for T-Series.

Aamir Khan worked very hard on the promotions. Big hoardings were put up that didn't even show his face. They just had one line: "Who is Aamir Khan? Ask the girl next door!" Aamir and his brother-in-law Raj Zutshi went around Mumbai sticking posters on auto-rickshaws themselves. When the film became a hit, distributors came up with a new scheme. Anyone who bought eight or more tickets got a free poster of Aamir and Juhi. This worked wonders. The collections shot up.