Not Rani Mukherji but Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was supposed to do the 2003 romance drama Chalte Chalte alongside Shah Rukh Khan? Well, the answer is YES! Aishwarya had, in fact, shot some part of the film before she got replaced overnight 'without any explanation'. In an appearance on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, the actress revealed several secrets and admitted that she was removed from as many as five films 'without any explanation whatsoever'.
“Yes, at the time, there was talk of a couple of films that we (her and SRK) would be working in together. And then, suddenly they weren’t happening, without any explanation whatsoever. I have never had the answer to why,” Aishwarya had told Simi. Notably, Shah Rukh Khan was also one of the producers on Chalte Chalte. Following this, Simi had informed Aishwarya that the Pathaan actor had expressed regret in an interview about replacing her. "I don’t have the answer to that," Aishwarya said, adding that it wasn’t her decision to not do those films.
When Shah Rukh Khan in an interview addressed the claims, he revealed that he had apologised to Aishwarya after she couldn’t be a part of Chalte Chalte. He had said, "I’m personally very saddened at the fact that Aishwarya was a very close friend and I have done some really marvelous films with her and we get along really well. Personally, it’s very saddening for something to reach at this level. I feel very sorry about it. As a producer, my hands are tied because I’m not the only producer… We wanted to finish the film in 3-4 months. I’m sure the film would have been made with her in it also, but I think we were a little saddened by the whole affair and we thought it wasn’t meant to be."
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was asked about the same, she had said she was hurt and doesn’t have an answer to that. She told Simi Garewal, "See, at the time, when you have no explanation, you’re obviously completely taken aback, and confused, and hurt. You wonder about it. If a person feels a need to explain it, they will. If they never did, they never intend to. So, it’s not in my nature to get into questioning what and why. Probably within myself, but I wouldn’t go up to a person and ask why. By the grace of God, I’m not defined by the other."
What's next for Aishwarya Rai?
Aishwarya Rai was recently seen in director Mani Ratnam's magnum opus period action drama film 'Ponniyin Selvan -1' which gathered massive responses from the audience. Apart from Aishwarya the film also starred Trisha Krishnan Karthik Sivakumar, and Jayam Ravi in the lead roles. Next, Aish will be seen in another south film 'Jailer' alongside south superstar actor Rajinikanth, Ramya Krishnan, Priyanka Arul Mohan, and Shiva Rajkumar. The official release date of the film is still awaited.
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