‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, ‘Heroine’, ‘Bajirao Mastani’: Five films rejected by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

After winning the crown of Miss World, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan entered the world of films and went on to prove that she was so much more than just a pretty face. The actress made a niche for herself in the industry with her choice of films and performances. While she has been a part of some iconic and popular films over the years, she has also rejected films that went on to become superhits. From Karan Johar’s ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Bajirao Mastani’ to Madhur Bhandarkar’s ‘Heroine’... take a look at films rejected by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

Karan Johar’s directorial debut ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ is still one of the most iconic films of all time. While we have read reports about how the young filmmaker had then approached many actresses including his childhood friend Twinkle Khanna for the role of Tina in the movie, not many know that the list even includes Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Recalling one of her old interviews with Filmfare, Aishwarya Rai had said, "I'm in a catch-22 situation, really. Though I'm a newcomer, I'm compared with all the senior actresses." She added, "If I'd done the film, 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.' Ultimately, the hero goes back to the more real person. I know if I'd done ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, I would have been lynched".

After the super success of ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’, Sanjay Leela Bhansali was reportedly keen on having his popular jodi of Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan back for ‘Bajirao Mastani. However, given her past relationship with Salman, Aishwarya reportedly rejected the historic film. However, there has been no official confirmation of this news.

Madhur Bhandarkar had initially announced his project, ‘Heroine’ with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. However, the actress got pregnant with her first child then and had to opt out of the film. Eventually, the filmmaker replaced her with Kareena Kapoor Khan. Although the film did not work wonders at the box-office, Bebo was still appreciated for her performance.

Apart from proving her mettle in Bollywood, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has also stood out with her performance in Hollywood films. She has been a part of films like, ‘Provoked’, ‘Pride and Prejudice’, ‘The Pink Panther 2’, she has also rejected films like, ‘Troy’ where she was supposed to star opposite Brad Pitt. The actress reportedly rejected the film as it demanded her to do an intimate scene which she was not comfortable with. The Oscar-nominated director Wolfgang Peterson, eventually gave the role to Rose Byrne.

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