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Why Aishwarya Rai chose not to star opposite Shah Rukh Khan
Published : Saturday, 5 September, 2026 at 3:26 PM
Observer Online Report
Collected Photo
Aishwarya Rai and Shah Rukh Khan have been one of Bollywood’s most admired on-screen pairings with films like ‘Devdas’ and ‘Mohabbatein,’ winning over audiences’ hearts.
Nevertheless, the former Miss World once turned down an opportunity to reunite with Shah Rukh in 2014 blockbuster film ‘Happy New Year.’
The role eventually went to Deepika Padukone, who went on to share the screen with Shah Rukh in the Farah Khan-directed film.
A video clip from 2018 interview with journalist Rajeev Masand recently resurfaced on social media where Aishwarya opened about why she decided to walk away from the project.
According to the actress, the offer initially seemed like an ideal opportunity to make her return to the screen following her maternity break. She felt the film’s large scale and strong commercial prospects could have made for a spectacular comeback.
Aishwarya recalled that she had thought the project would be a “great comeback” for her, particularly because it was a big-budget production with an almost certain chance of performing strongly at the box office.
However, there was one major complication: her husband, Abhishek Bachchan, had already been signed for the film before she was approached.
Aishwarya explained that she was unsure how the situation would unfold, as Abhishek was already part of the cast. She said she had told director Farah Khan that she would have gladly done the film if she had been approached independently.
She also believed the project could have been a lot of fun and particularly mentioned the song ‘Manwa Laage,’ which she felt would have been wonderful to perform in.
Still, she was worried that casting both her and Abhishek without presenting them as an on-screen couple could lead to unnecessary speculation among viewers.
“For me, it was not easy to walk away from such an opportunity as a professional actor,” Aishwarya said, explaining that she ultimately had to make the decision as a wife.
After Aishwarya opted out, Deepika Padukone was cast opposite Shah Rukh Khan. Their pairing became one of the major highlights of Happy New Year, which emerged as one of the biggest hits among films released in 2014.
Directed by Farah Khan, the film was reportedly made on a budget of around Rs 150 crore and earned Rs 342 crore at the worldwide box office - equivalent to more than Tk 444 crore.
Aishwarya and Abhishek married in 2007 after falling in love. They welcomed their daughter, Aaradhya, in 2011. In the years that followed, Aishwarya largely focused on her family and has appeared in relatively few films.
Her latest theatrical release remains Ponniyin Selvan: II, directed by Mani Ratnam. The Tamil historical epic hit theatres on April 28, 2023, and is set against a turbulent period in the Chola Empire during the 10th century.
Aishwarya portrayed dual roles in the film, which received a strong response at the box office and became a major commercial success.
-MaT/SA
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
