Before Tezaab, Madhuri Dixit had signed five films. Her roles were small, but the films were big like Awara Baap, Swati. She was getting films as the second and third lead. Filmmaker, T Rama Rao had cast Madhuri in 1988's Khatron Ke Khiladi with Dharmendra, Sanjay Dutt, Chunkey Pandey and Neelam. The film's ad listed Madhuri's name last. Rikku Rakesh Nath, Madhuri's manager asked T Rama Rao the reason as she had been cast opposite Sanjay Dutt, who was the second lead, so her name should have been on top. Rao explained that the names were according to seniority. So Rikku told him Madhuri was senior to Neelam. He asked to prove it.

Rikku then went to Ramesh Behl, the director of Neelam's debut film Jawaani, and asked him to give me a letter stating the film's release date. Then he went to Rajshri Productions to get a letter stating the release of Madhuri's Abodh. Both had released in 1984, but Abodh had released earlier. So T Rama Rao agreed to put Madhuri's name on top of Neelam's.

During Rikku's visit at Rajshri's office, he met an old friend Chandrashekhar Narvekar, better known as N Chandra. He said "Do you know I'm signing your hero?" he asked, referring to Anil Kapoor as Rikku was handling Anil Kapoor's work too. He said he was looking for a new girl. Rikku immediately showed him Madhuri's pictures. He liked them and asked, to see her rushes of the earlier film. As Rajshri had produced Abodh, both asked the production house if they could show some reels of Madhuri Dixit. Even though Madhuri played a traditional Indian woman in Abodh, N Chandra was impressed. He met Madhuri and she was signed on for Tezaab.

When Anil Kapoor was told that a new girl Madhuri from Abodh was being casted as his heroine in the film, he reaction was, "She looks good, but doesn't look like a cabaret dancer. Madhuri was to play a dancer in Tezaab, but she looked very homely in Abodh. Madhuri auditioned and passed(Cinematographer) Baba Azmi also liked her. The Ek Do Teen song was shot in Mehboob studio for many days.

That song was the highlight of the film and Madhuri Dixit became overnight sensation.