Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam is one of the most iconic films in the history of Cinema. The love story by Sanjay Leela Bhansali still stands tall, passing the test of time. Aishwarya Rai & Salman Khan were the IT couple who bowled everyone with their chemistry. However, we all know that it was not Aishwarya but Kareena Kapoor Khan, the first choice for the film.
However, after Kareena rejected the offer and pursued her studies, it was Aishwarya who was picked up for the role. But Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s decision was questioned by the then producers, who were not very sure about the film’s casting.
Aishwarya Rai was the former Miss World when she entered the film industry. In fact, there is even a dialogue in the film where Salman Khan’s character says, “Attitude to aise de rahi hai, jaise Miss World Ho.” Her being the choice for Nandini was unwelcomed, with a lot of concerns.
Was Aishwarya Rai Not The Right Choice?
Apart from Sanjay Leela Bhansali, there were other producers of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam who were doubtful that Aish might ever come across as Nandini since she had a very Western image ever since she had won the Miss World crown. Meanwhile, Nandini was a typical Desi girl adorning ghagras and being the lifeline of her joint family.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali Came Up With A Solution
It was then that Bhansali came up with a solution that was a marvel of an idea going down in the history of films. Sanjay Leela Bhansali just said, “Why not tie her hair in a plait and give her a traditional look?” And Aishwarya’s look was decided then and there.
Aish Pitched Herself For The Film
Aishwarya Rai was supposed to make her debut with Aamir Khan‘s Raja Hindustani in 1996, but that could not happen. During one of the screenings of that film, she went up to Sanjay Leela Bhansali and told him that she was a fan of his work. Then, she released Khamoshi: The Musical, in particular. In one of his interviews, Sanjay Leela Bhansali recalled that her eyes were like fire and that he had been looking for a girl to play Nandini. At that moment, he said to himself, “Yehi to hai meri Nandini (She is my Nandini).”
Although the timelines of such confessions do not match the Aishwarya’s but, tales from the old days are now only tales. We just enjoy reading about them. Nothing more, nothing less!
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