5 min readMumbaiMar 18, 2026 07:31 AM IST In a couple of months, Kunal Kohli’s 2006 romantic thriller Fanaa, starring Aamir Khan and Kajol, will turn 20. Kohli’s third directorial, it had a far more evolved political voice than his first two — Mujhse Dosti Karoge! (2002) and Hum Tum (2004), which were largely romantic comedies. In this edition of SCREEN Spotlight, Kunal looks back at Fanaa, the challenges of casting and pairing Aamir and Kajol, and breaking the blind girl stereotype with her character Zooni. Do you think a film like Fanaa can be made today? Hum Tum and Fanaa are very different, yet we still don’t make films like either of them. It’s just sad heroes and producers are shying away from subjects that are bold and different. Because in Fanaa, the hero isn’t a hero, he’s a villain. It’s the love story of a terrorist. And there’s no salvation. He gets shot dead by the woman he loves and the woman who loves him. Was Aamir apprehensive of playing a terrorist? He …