Deepika Padukone to Aishwarya Rai: Bollywood stars who turned down Hollywood projects

Several Bollywood stars have flirted with the idea of making their way westward and starring in popular Hollywood films and web series. Over the years, several Bollywood stars have chosen to step away for reasons ranging from scheduling conflicts to creative preferences, comfort levels, or simply because they didn't want to audition for the part. From Deepika Padukone to Ranbir Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai, here's a look at some prominent Indian actors who bowed out of big Hollywood projects.

Weeks after news spread of Deepika Padukone possibly joining the cast of the Emmy-winning anthology series 'The White Lotus', reports this week stated that the actress bowed out of the part. As per Variety India, the star opted not to audition for the part in Season 4, closing the door on what would have been another high-profile Hollywood project after her debut in 'xXx: Return of Xander Cage'.

Take a look back at gossip columns and you'll known that Ranbir Kapoor was once offered a chance to star in a supporting role in the legendary 'Star Wars' series. However, the actor's Hollywood dreams did not take flight, reportedly due to his discomfort over auditioning for the part. In a chat with Rajeev Masand, Ranbir shared that he had a deep-seated fear of the auditioning process. He admitted, "What if I get rejected? It's more a fear of not having that much faith in my talent."

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was among the first Indian actresses to make it big in Hollywood. She starred in several international projects, including the comedy 'Pink Panther'. However, when she was offered the role of Briseis opposite Brad Pitt in the Hollywood epic 'Troy', she declined the part. As per reports, the actress allegedly turned down the role as she was uncomfortable with the required intimate scenes and due to her pre-existing commitments to Indian films. The role eventually went to Rose Byrne.

Critically acclaimed actor Irrfan Khan, seamlessly transitioned between Bollywood and Hollywood film projects. Apart from his many roles, he was also offered a role in 'Interstellar', which he eventually turned down due to scheduling conflicts with his Indian films - 'The Lunchbox' and 'D-Day'. The part eventually went to Matt Damon.

Did you know that Naseeruddin Shah was approached for the role of Professor Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films? The actor was reportedly approached after the death of Richard Harris. "My agent wanted me to audition for Dumbledore's character... But I wouldn't audition for it" Shah told the Times of India back in 2016. Shah ultimately did not audition, and the role was later played by Michael Gambon.