Vidya Balan Auditioned 75 Times For Parineeta? Vidhu Vinod Chopra Reveals Envisioning Aishwarya Rai As Lalita

Based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s 1914 Bengali novella of the same name by, Parineeta stars Vidya Balan, Saif Ali Khan and Sanjay Dutt in pivotal roles. As the film is set to for a select release, we tell you of the time producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra spoke about Aishwarya Rai Bachchan being the first choice for Parineeta. Not just that, but did you know Vidya Balan auditioned for the role 75 times. Scroll below to know all the details.

Not Vidya Balan, Aishwarya Rai Was First Choice For Parineeta

During a 2012 press interview, producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra got candid about initially envisioning Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for the role of Lalita. He shared, “When we thought of Parineeta, I immediately thought of a face like Aishwarya Rai. The character is one that two men fall in love with…so the heroine has to be bigger.”

However, after watching Vidya Balan’s audition tapes, director Pradeep Sarkar was convinced she was the perfect choice. Trusting his conviction, Chopra said, “I was like let me see what she can do…she cleared it.” Talking about casting Saif Ali Khan as Shekar and Sanjay Dutt as Girish, Chopra said, “I had called up Sanjay saying there is a role for you in my film and he agreed. We wanted the character of Girish (Sanjay) to be bigger than Shekar (Saif).”

Shantanu Moitra: Vidya Balan Auditioned 75 Times & Got Rejected

During the same press meet, Parineeta’s music composer, Shantanu Moitra, recalled Vidya’s difficult journey in landing the role. He said, “She auditioned about 75 times and got rejected every single time. Can you imagine her self-worth?” Despite the pressure and repeated rejections, Vidya stayed determined. In fact, reports state that after her last audition, she attended a Bryan Adams concert to lift her spirits. It was after this that she got a called back for a final test, and then bagged the film.

On Getting Rekha On-Board Parineeta

Talking about Rekha’s cameo performance in the film’s song Kaisi Paheli Zindagaan, director Pradeep Sarkar said, “For this cameo we went to who’s-who of Bollywood but then we realised it has to be someone who is a classic diva and who better than her (Rekha). I had gone to meet her (Rekha) after Chopra had spoken to her about the appearance. It was fantastic meeting her…she does her own styling, hair, make-up, photography. Even for the song she had valuable inputs to provide. It was amazing and we had a wonderful time working with her.”

Vidya Balan On Starring In Parineeta

For Vidya Balan, Parineeta is deeply special. The actress recently said, “Every frame of the film holds a piece of my heart, and I will always be grateful to Pradeep da and Mr Chopra for believing in me.”

A restored version of Parineeta is all set to be re-released in select PVR INOX cinemas. The film will hit the big screens across India exclusively for one week on August 29, 2025. This limited re-release presents a rare opportunity for both old fans and new audiences to experience the magic of the film on the big screen in the highest quality ever seen.

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Also Read: Saif Ali Khan, Sanjay Dutt And Vidya Balan Starrer Parineeta To Re-Release In Theatres THIS Month; Makers Unveil New Trailer- Watch

Grinell Jacinto

With nearly 10 years of experience, Grinell Esther Jacinto is the Desk Head of Bollywood Bubble. Her interests lie in everything that is kaleshi and she loves to dig deeper into the lives of B-town actors. She has a problem though – she loves horror films but will have chills the minute the theatres lights dims. She’s previously worked with Koimoi, UrbanAsian and SpotboyE.