The stunning and charismatic Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has had an illustrious Bollywood career with films like Devdas, Jodhaa Akbar and more.
But the Diva has also rejected some iconic movie roles and lost some to others. Here’s a list of 10 blockbusters that were initially offered to Ash!
1) Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
Did you know Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was offered the role of Tina Malhotra (who was ultimately played by Rani Mukherjee) in Karan Johar’s ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’?
In a Filmfare interview, the light-eyed beauty revealed the reason for turning down the iconic role – the age old date issue!
“Karan Johar did approach me, but the dates he needed were committed to the RK film. Moreover, Kuch Kuch… belonged to Kajol. No two ways about that. Having said that, let me add that Rani Mukherjee did a terrific job.
I’m in a Catch-22 situation really. Though I’m a newcomer, I’m compared with all the senior actresses. So if I’d done Kuch Kuch…, it would have been tittered that, “Look, Aishwarya Rai is back to doing what she did in her modelling days – leaving her hair straight, wearing minis, and pouting glamorously into the camera.“
2) Veer-Zaara
The Preity Zinta-Shah Rukh Khan starrer ‘Veer Zaara’ was a classic hit, backed by a timeless soundtrack and beautifully tragic love story. Who can forget the eternal, blushing beauty of Preity?
This turned out to be one of the costliest misses of Aish’s career; Veer Zaara went on to win a National Award for the Most Popular Film, besides the Filmfare Award for the Best Film. Rai was supposed to play the role of Shah Rukh Khan’s lawyer Saamiya Siddiqui, which ended up going to Rani Mukherjee later.
3) Bajirao Mastani
Did you know that Sanjay Leela Bhansali aka the matchmaker of Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone (hehe) had originally intended to make Bajirao Mastani with Aishwarya Rai and Salman Khan?
Owing to her controversial history with Sallu post their split, the actress decided to opt out, and the project didn’t materialise till DeepVeer and Priyanka Chopra worked their magic.
4) Chalte Chalte
Now, the green-eyed diva did not willingly give up her role in Chalte Chalte, having already shot a good portion of the movie with co-star Shah Rukh.
But an angry and drunk Salman Khan had stormed and created a scene on the film’s set. This ruckus eventually led to Aishwarya Rai getting replaced with Rani Mukherjee in Chalte Chalte.
5) Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham
K3G is another iconic movie that slipped out of Aishwarya’s hands. The ensemble star studded family entertainer would have been quite different, had Aish been playing Anjali Sharma opposite SRK!
Kher chodo….Kajol’s ‘Bade mazaaki ho’ is legendary as it is.
Ash had commented, “He (Karan) did come to me with K3G also but then, his script went in for a change. So the character did change. I know that for sure because I know what was narrated to me and what I saw on screen eventually. Of course, Kajol was fabulous. But that also went and I could not do it.”
6) Dostana
Well, here’s a missed opportunity! Aishwarya could have shared the screen space with hubby Abhishek Bachchan in Dostana.
Karan Johar had originally planned to rope in Ash, Abhishek and Saif Ali Khan for the comedy. However, their plans fell through.
“Through the years, we kept discussing subjects and we thought we will work on Dostana together. Then I got married. Saif was there in the film initially but after our marriage, he was like, ‘Abhishek and Aishwarya will be together in the film. So it won’t look right’. That’s how the vibe was becoming around the film but I was like, ‘The role is of the two guys’. Since that was the kind of discussion and feeling going around with the casting, I decided to step out of Dostana and didn’t do that as well,” Aishwarya revealed.
What can we say, things work in mysterious ways! We aren’t whining coz hey, ain’t nobody like our ‘Desi Girl’ Priyanka Chopra!
7) Munna Bhai MBBS
Aishwarya Rai was the first choice for the role of Dr. Suman in Rajkumar Hirani’s comedy drama flick ‘Munna Bhai M.B.B.S’. However, she turned down the role and Gracy Singh then starred opposite Sanjay Dutt.
Another film that Aishwarya rejected, which later went on to become a blockbuster!
8) Bhool Bhulaiya
Vidya Balan scared the crap out of people with her stellar performance as Manjulika in Bhool Bhulaiya.
Aishwarya was reportedly offered Vidya’s role of Avni first, but she turned it down. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Can’t say we are complaining. Vidya Balan totally killed it in Bhool Bhulaiya.
9) Krrish
Aishwarya’s loss became Priyanka Chopra’s gain in this superhero flick.
Imagine though, Ash and Hrithik Roshan in Krrish….they do make for an unfairly gorgeous onscreen couple, don’t they?
After rejecting Kaho Na Pyaar hai which eventually became Ameesha Patel’s debut movie, Aishwarya rejected this movie too from the same team.
10) Namastey London
The Katrina Kaif-Akshay Kumar starrer romantic comedy Namastey London had been initially offered to Ash.
The ADHM star turned it down as the character wasn’t particular to her liking. In her place, Katrina Kaif instead graced Bollywood with her doe-eyed beauty.