Can you imagine superstar Shah Rukh Khan as Rancho in 3 fools? You can not ? Alright, what about Deepika Padukone as the lead in Dhoom 3? Nope? Believe it or not, these two actors were the first choices for these films. Most actors try to be selective when choosing movies, but sometimes they end up losing a chance to be part of a hit movie. Many Bollywood actors have turned down what have become iconic blockbuster movie characters.
Here is a list of hit movies that would have looked very different if these actors had taken on the roles:
Saif Ali Khan – Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge
This might shock you, considering we can’t imagine anyone else playing the iconic character Raj Malhotra but Shah Rukh Khan. However, it turns out that Saif Ali Khan was first approached for the role. There were even rumors about how Aditya Chopra wanted to portray no one but Hollywood star Tom Cruise in the role, but Yash Chopra advised him to stick with an Indian face.
Kareena Kapoor Khan– Kal Ho Na Ho
Apart from Ram LeelaKareena also rejected Karan Johar’s Kal Ho Na Ho. According to reports, she had demanded a huge sum to play the role of Naina. The role eventually went to Preity Zinta. Kareena also turned down the 2013 release Queen. Kareena said YOU in an interview, “I feel honored and happy to give work to other people. I hope they (the actresses) will become stars because I rejected the big movies.
Shahrukh Khan – 3 idiots
Can you imagine Shah Rukh Khan saying “All Izz Well”? Did you know the character of Rancho in 3 idiots was first offered to him. Rajkumar Hirani wanted King Khan to lead the casting, but eventually Aamir Khan was approached for the role. A few years after the film, SRK called himself a “fourth fool” for not accepting the role. However, the superstar has just announced his first movie with Hirani, titled ‘Dunki’.
Kangana Ranaut – The dirty picture
Kangana Ranaut chose Tanu marries Manu finished The dirty picture. She revealed in an interview that people called her “stupid” for losing the movie. The role went to Vidya Balan and the film was a big hit, with the actress winning a national award for her performance.
Twinkle Khanna- Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
Karan Johar always wanted his best friend to play Tina, which is also Twinkle’s nickname. But Miss Funnybones rejected the film because she thought the script was “sh*t”! In an interview, Akshay Kumar revealed, “She always tells Rani,Teri zindagi maine banayi (I made your life)”.
Kajol– Veer Zaara
Preity Zinta played the role of Zaara and we can’t imagine anyone else playing the character. However, according to reports, she was not the first choice for the film and it was Kajol. Would Kajol have been a better Zaara? Let’s not even go there because Preity was amazing.
Akshay Kumar – Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
Farhan Akhtar did an outstanding job as Milkha Singh. However, he was not the first choice. Instead it was Akshay Kumar. He rejected the offer because he was busy with Kambakkht Ichq and Maar Khan T-Shirts.
Salman Khan- Chak De! India
“Sattar minute…“Can you imagine Salman Khan speaking this iconic dialogue? In an interview, Salman Khan said: “When I was offered Chak De, my image was totally different. It was not my type at that time. It was a more serious kind of film and I was doing more of a commercial kind of cinema than I always do.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan – Hindustani Raja
In 1996, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was the first choice to play the lead role in Raja Hindustani. However, she turned down the offer as she wanted to focus on her studies. Aishwarya was then crowned Miss World and entered the world of cinema.
(Featured image credits: Instagram)
